No Stone Unturned
by Anne Bensler
Summary: Story set in SVU season 7. Elliot Stabler asks his partner Olivia Benson to come over for dinner after work but she never shows up. What happened? Where is she? Why did she disappear? Story written at the request of a friend :)
1. Friday run

**I am writing this story at the request of a good friend. She's given me some freedom with regards to the plot and I'm going to see what I can make of it. The beginning and the end are fixed but everything in between is still somewhat fluent, so feel free to offer some input in reviews or DM's. Alright. Here we go …**

…

1.

"Yes El. I'm just going out for a run and then I'll pick up something on the way over …. Yeah …. Alright. … Yeah, I'll be careful. I'm a big girl, El. See you later. Bye."

Olivia Benson sighed after ending the call. Her partner Elliot Stabler had recently divorced his wife and was having some trouble adjusting to life as a bachelor. They kept busy on the job, but at night, he sometimes felt lonely, saying it was too quiet in his new apartment in Midtown Manhattan. While Olivia didn't feel like filling in for his ex, she had agreed to come over to his house later and bring takeout. But first, she was going for a run.

As always, when she got home at a decent hour on Friday, she would run. Basically, it was the only scheduled activity she had all week, and she couldn't even do that every week. Oftentimes, she'd still be at work after dinner. But this week, they had closed two cases and she'd actually gotten home early after their Captain had sent them home around three with orders to enjoy their weekend and not come back until Monday morning.

She tied her shoelaces and plugged in her MP3 player. She checked the time before heading out. It was 5 PM now. She should be able to make it to Elliot's place by 7.

She turned right after leaving her building and waved at a neighbor who was coming home just as she dashed off.

Olivia's thoughts wandered back to Elliot. They'd been partners for 7 years now and had become a tight unit. They didn't always see eye to eye on cases but they always had each others' backs. There was a rare kind of trust between them and she knew without a doubt that Elliot would die to save her if he had to. She felt the same way. Over time, she'd wondered if there was more between them, especially since they were so dedicated to protecting each other, but Elliot had never given her any indication that he was interested in being more than friends and partners with her. He'd been married most of the time of course, so she had tried not to think about him like that, but since he'd told her that he and Kathy were over for good, her mind had started wandering again. But Elliot's behavior towards her hadn't changed in any way, so she was trying not to think about it. He needed a friend right now, and being a friend was something she could do.

She turned up the volume of her music a little and picked up some speed. She liked to push herself, to test her limits, and clear her mind at the same time.

…

Elliot Stabler checked the clock for the umpteenth time. She should have been here by now, he kept thinking. She told him she'd go out for a run at five. It was 7.30 now. He knew she didn't answer her phone while she was running but after another 10 minutes had gone by, he decided to call her anyway. She couldn't still be running so she was either still at home or on her way, picking up their food. Surely, she'd answer her phone now.

Only she didn't. It went to voicemail and Elliot hung up. Maybe she was downstairs, rolling her eyes because he was calling her again.

Another ten minutes went by and Elliot was getting restless. He was pacing his apartment and rubbing his neck with one hand. This wasn't like Olivia. Something was wrong. He called her number again. It went to voicemail again and this time, he left a message.

"Liv, where are you? Please call me back."

Olivia was his best friend. That might sound strange, for a man to have a woman as a best friend, but it was the truth. They were as close as any two partners could be. Maybe even a little too close. They entrusted each other with their lives on a daily basis. Their unit hunted down dangerous criminals and they needed to be able to rely on each other, always. It was what partners were supposed to do, but he couldn't deny that his bond with Olivia was special. It had been from day one and his wife - no, ex-wife - had commented on it a few times. Not overtly, but Elliot had received her message loud and clear. Kathy had wondered if he had feelings for his partner that were of a non-partnerly kind. He had always denied it but he wondered if Kathy believed him. He even wondered if he believed himself at times.

And now Olivia wasn't answering her phone and she should have been here by now. They should have been eating and relaxing together, her sitting on his couch, her legs tucked underneath her and him facing her and cracking silly jokes just to see her smile … Yeah. Maybe he did have some unpartnerly feelings hidden away somewhere. But he was sure Olivia wasn't interested in him that way. She'd never shown any signs of wanting more of him than friendship. And right now, it looked like she was standing him up.

Only she wouldn't do that. She would have at least sent him a text. Telling him she'd sprained her ankle or something. He'd come and get her and they would still spend the evening together. But there was no text and no phone call. And no answer when he called her again. This time it went straight to voicemail. Had she shut her phone off?

"Liv, I'm getting worried. Please call me back. Where are you?"

But she didn't call. By 8.30 Elliot was in a frenzy and called Captain Cragen. He knew Olivia had only been out of touch for a few hours but he couldn't sit here and wait any longer. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

…

"Elliot, there's probably a logical explanation. Maybe you misunderstood."

"Cap, she was coming over with food. We were going to have dinner at my place. How can I misunderstand that?!"

Elliot was getting more and more agitated. Every minute that passed without any word from Olivia made him more certain that something had happened to her.

"Alright, I'll send a patrol car over to her place but you know I can't report someone missing after just three hours."

"Almost four," Elliot barked.

Four hours. He knew only too well what could happen to a person in four hours and he had to stay focused and not dwell on all the horror scenarios that were popping up in his head.

Sending a squad car over to Olivia's place wasn't enough. He was going himself. He left a note for Olivia on his coffee table just in case she'd go there after all, but something told him she wouldn't. This wasn't like Olivia at all. She would have been in touch one way or another if she could. The only logical conclusion was, that she couldn't. Something had happened to her.

Elliot ran down the stairs of his building and down to the parking garage. Within minutes he was on 8th Avenue, heading for the Upper West Side. He tried to drive safely but once he was on Broadway, he hit the gas and didn't slow down unless he had to stop for a red light. Most of the lights were in his favor and he rounded the corner fast once he got to West 89th street. Olivia's street.

He stopped next to the patrol car that was parked across the street and rolled down his window.

"Olivia Benson?" he asked the officer curtly.

"We just checked. She's not here. I was about to call it in," the officer explained.

"Did you go inside?"

The officer frowned.

"You want us to break down the door? She isn't home."

"I have a key."

The officer put away his phone and sighed. He didn't seem very excited to go up to Olivia's apartment again but Elliot could care less. He parked his car on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the building and went in, not even waiting for the officer and his partner.

It didn't take them long to ascertain that Olivia was, indeed, not home. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Olivia's work clothes were in a pile next to her bed, where she'd changed into her running gear. Elliot called her number again but he already knew they wouldn't find her phone. She never left home without it.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath.

"Nothing we can do here, Detective," the officer said. "Do you know where she might go? A friend or relative maybe?"

"She was coming over to _my_ place. That's why I'm so worried," Elliot told both men.

The officers exchanged a look and Elliot wanted to roll his eyes. He didn't have time to explain to them why his partner had been on her way to see him on a Friday night off the clock.

"I'm going to knock on some doors. Care to help me?" he said tersely.

He walked out of the apartment without waiting for an answer and knocked on the door of Olivia's next door neighbor.

After half an hour one of the officers came up with one solid result. A neighbor had seen Olivia outside, in her running gear, and had told him which way she'd gone. The officers explained to Elliot that they really didn't have time to continue looking for Olivia, reminding him that she still wasn't missing officially. Elliot understood and did his best to sound grateful when he thanked them for their efforts so far. After the squad car took off, Elliot started walking in the direction that the neighbor said Olivia had gone. He knew he'd be looking for a needle in a haystack but what else could he do?

…

Elliot was desperate. There was nowhere left to look. He could walk into any alley or street but he didn't have a clue where Olivia could have gone. Nobody had seen her. It was pointless to keep wandering the streets. He kept calling her number, hoping she'd pick up but she never did. After finally walking back to his car, he decided not to go home but to see if anyone at TARU would be willing to help him by tracing Olivia's phone. He called them and a groggy security guard picked up, letting him know that, naturally, nobody was in at the moment. Elliot ended the call and racked his brain, trying to figure out what to do. He decided to head over to the station and find Ruben Morales' phone number. He couldn't just do nothing while Olivia was missing!

Ruben wasn't very happy to be called at home but once Elliot convinced him that it was urgent, he promised him he'd be right over. Each passing minute was killing Elliot inside but he had to be patient. He was glad Ruben was willing to come in at all at 10.30 PM.

Ruben was worried about Olivia too, and easily traced her phone right up to the moment it had been turned off.

"Right … there," Ruben told Elliot, placing his finger on the map on his computer screen. Corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 79th street."

Elliot frowned.

"So she turned right, taking West End, and then she took another right and then another and went all the way here, way past her apartment? That doesn't make sense."

"She disappeared. The whole thing doesn't make any sense, Elliot," Ruben stressed. "I don't think she took that route willingly. Judging by the timeline, she couldn't have been running the last part. I think she was in a car or another motor vehicle."

Ruben was confirming Elliot's worst fear. Someone had taken Olivia. But who? Where? And why? He thanked Ruben for his help and decided to drive through those streets one more time, just to look at where she had last been. Or where her phone had last been. His stomach clenched. They couldn't even be sure that Olivia had been in the same place as her phone. He tried to breathe through the panic that was constantly bubbling just beneath the surface. He was going to find her. He _had_ to find her. And she'd be alive and well. There were no other options. Not for him. It was going to be alright.

Elliot decided to crash at Olivia's place for the remainder of the night. Not that he expected to sleep, but he'd feel closer to her in her apartment. He found himself smelling her towel after brushing his teeth in her bathroom and he wanted to cry. He was literally sick with worry. His partner had vanished from the face of the earth and there was nothing he could do. He grabbed Olivia's robe and took it with him to her couch. He wasn't going to sleep in her bed. He just couldn't. If he was ever going to sleep in that bed, it would be with her, he decided.

He was less shocked at that thought than he'd expected. Realizing that he felt as if half his body and soul had been amputated because Olivia was gone, was an eye-opener. Once he found her, he wouldn't waste any more time. He would tell her that he couldn't live without her and let the chips fall where they may. She couldn't die without knowing how much she meant to him. She just couldn't.

…

 **Oh Elliot …**

 **Where is Olivia? What happened to her? Will they find her and if so, in what shape?  
So many questions!**


	2. Missing

**Thanks everyone for the great reception of this story. It's very different for me to write a mystery but I'm enjoying it. I hope you will like where I'm taking this ...**

...

 **2\. Missing**

Elliot felt like a zombie. He'd started calling everyone he and Olivia knew as soon as he thought it was acceptable to call people on a Saturday morning. A lot of them weren't amused to be called out of bed just after eight on their day off. Nobody had heard from Olivia and she hadn't been brought into any hospital ER.

Aside from their Captain, John Munch and Fin Tutuola seemed to be the only ones to grasp the severity of the situation. They both told him they were on their way to Olivia's, as was Cragen. Elliot tried to eat something and couldn't suppress a sad smile when he inspected the contents of Olivia's fridge. How she could live on orange juice and cheese was a mystery to him. He found a pack of crackers in one of the cabinets and managed to eat two. Coffee Olivia had plenty of, and he made enough for all four of them. He was grateful that the guys were coming over. He'd felt completely lost during the night and hadn't slept a wink.

John Munch gave him a friendly hug when he let his boss and co-workers into his partner's apartment. If anyone knew how Elliot felt right now, it would be Munch. He never commented much but Elliot knew that nothing went by the older Detective. He knew how close he and Olivia were. None of the men asked him why he'd spent the night at Olivia's. They understood and it gave Elliot strength. He could only hope that the four of them would be more successful in finding Olivia than he had been on his own so far.

He poured them all a cup of coffee and they discussed their options.

"Ruben thinks Olivia was taken and that her phone was turned off while she was already being transported in a car or van."

Cragen shook his head wearily.

"She could be anywhere by now."

They were silent for a few long moments. They had all seen way too much and knew what random men could do to random women. They knew the darkest side of humanity too well and to think that these horrors might touch one of their own was difficult to swallow. For Elliot, it was impossible to swallow. This could not be happening to them. To _her_. They had to do something, but what?

"We could go over Olivia's case files. See if there's someone she busted that was recently paroled," Fin suggested.

They all nodded and after finishing their coffee, they headed out. The weekend crew was very surprised to see the team come in on a Saturday while they were off duty, but as soon as Captain Cragen explained to them why they were there, everyone offered to help. They made quick work of all the databases together and came up with a list of suspects that might be up for a kidnapping - or rape or murder, but they left that out of the description for Elliot's sake. Then they cross-referenced the list with people who had recently been released from prison. A few names came up and Elliot was already grabbing his coat.

"Whoa whoa wait," Cragen said sternly. " _You_ are staying here Elliot. Fin, Munch, you grab the list and get going."

"Captain …" Elliot started, but Cragen was adamant and held up his hands to silence his Detective.

"I want no argument from you Elliot. You're too close to her. I don't want to have to make any assault charges disappear. Fin and John will talk to the parolees, not you."

Elliot huffed but part of him knew his boss was right. He was ready to rip somebody's head off and that wouldn't be helpful. Cragen tasked him with another look in the database, this time for recent parolees or prisoners on leave, that weren't necessarily tied to Olivia or their team, but to snatching up women in New York. It didn't exactly calm Elliot down, but at least it gave him something to do.

At the end of the day, they felt like they hadn't gotten a single step closer to finding Olivia. All their suspects either had a solid alibi or were sitting quietly in their homes. Ruben had come in to monitor any activity on Olivia's phone and even on her debit cards but they were all coming up empty.

Elliot had called his ex-wife Kathy to tell her what had happened, because he felt that his family should know. They all knew Olivia too, and he needed someone to talk to. Kathy still was that person, even now that they were divorced, and she was very understanding. She told him she'd light a candle for Olivia in church, and so would the children. He asked her to kiss the kids for him and she encouraged him to get some rest.

"You won't be any good to Olivia once you find her if you don't sleep," she told him, and her quiet faith in him, telling him she was certain he'd find his partner, was soothing.

"Thanks Kath," he said softly, and for the first time in a long time he wished he could crawl into her arms and stay there for a while.

After ending the call he trudged up to the cribs. He wasn't going home. He needed to be here in case there was a development. Olivia was now officially missing for 24 hours and they were putting out a missing person alert. Her picture would be all over the city in no time. Elliot tried not to worry about what the person who took her might do if he or she felt cornered. And he refused to let his mind wander to a different scenario, where Olivia wasn't even alive anymore. He didn't expect to get any sleep but he'd lay down to give his tired body some rest.

…

" _Elliot. Elliot."_

Slowly, the gentle voice of his Captain started seeping into his conscience. He now felt the man's hand on his shoulder and he opened his eyes, instantly remembering their situation. Olivia. Missing. How long had he been asleep?

"Yeah. Any news?" he croaked, his voice still sleepy, while sitting up on his bunk bed.

Cragen sat down next to him and Elliot noticed that there was defeat in his features. He felt his chest constrict. This wasn't good. His Captain's brown eyes were sad when he looked at him.

"I'm sorry Elliot."

The words, spoken softly, sliced through his heart and Elliot didn't want to hear them. He jumped up and turned around to slam his hand into the bunk above his. He barely registered the pain and he hit the bunk again, making it shift slightly, even with his Captain still sitting on the lower bed.

"Elliot," the older man said, now standing up, but Elliot couldn't look at him.

He didn't want to listen. He couldn't hear him say the words. She couldn't be gone. Not Olivia. Not his partner. Not when she was coming over to his place …

"No!" he yelled before everything faded to black.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing at a crime scene in the middle of Central Park. There were a lot of people buzzing around but all he could see was the sheet covering the body of the victim. It was her. He knew even before Melinda lifted up the sheet to let him see her. Melinda wiped a tear off of her own cheek with the back of her wrist while looking down at the beautiful woman underneath the sheet, but Elliot refused to look at her. It wasn't her. He knew it was, but it couldn't be. Not Olivia …

"Just tell me it was quick," he heard Munch ask Melinda.

"I'm sorry," Melinda said, wiping her cheek again. "It was slow and brutal. She was alive and awake for all of it."

Everything went black again.

Elliot didn't hear anything anyone was saying. They were praising her but he didn't want to be here. Not at this cemetery. Not at her grave. Kathy was standing next to him, holding his arm, and he knew she was the only thing keeping him upright. She wasn't holding on to him for her own sake but for his. He wanted to rip his arm out of her grasp and run back to the station, where his partner would be waiting for him. She'd smile at him, ask him what took him so long and then joke about who was driving to their next location. Her desk couldn't be empty. She was supposed to be there. She couldn't be gone!

Elliot sat up in bed, gasping for air. Where was he?

He looked around and saw that he was in the cribs. He checked the time out of habit. 3 AM. What day was it? Why was he here? He got up and walked out of the cribs and down to the squad room, not caring that his clothes were rumpled and he wasn't wearing his shoes. It was quiet in the building and Elliot looked in Cragen's office. His commanding officer was sleeping on the foldout bed in his office, waiting for news like he was.

It had only been a dream. A horrific dream, reflecting his deepest fears. The fear that Olivia was dead and that he would never see her brown eyes and her beautiful smile again. The fear that he'd never be able to tell her how much she meant to him.

Elliot leaned against the door frame of Cragen's office and closed his eyes. There was still hope. They hadn't heard from Olivia, but they hadn't found a body either. There was still hope. He decided to let the Captain sleep and went back to bed as well.

...

" _Elliot. Elliot."_

He frowned. He felt like he'd been here before. He heard a voice calling his name, only it wasn't the Captain this time. It was Fin. Elliot opened his eyes and sat up quickly.

"Yeah," he croaked. "What's up."

"El, we just got a phone call. They'll talk to nobody but you."

Elliot looked up at his co-worker and frowned. He was confused.

"Who?" he asked.

"They didn't say. They're calling back in five. Guy says he has information for you. We're pretty sure it has to do with Liv."

He was wide awake instantly. Someone wanted to talk to him and it could be about Olivia. Suddenly he could breathe better and he jumped up.

"Lead the way," he told Fin, who smirked before walking out of the cribs in front of him. Elliot's legs were still a bit wobbly but he wasn't going to miss this call.

Captain Cragen was already waiting for them at Elliot's desk when he and Fin walked into the squad room, and Ruben and a co-worker were setting up their equipment on the desk behind his.

"That phone?" Elliot asked, pointing at his own phone.

"Yes," Cragen confirmed. "He called on your line. He should be calling again any moment now."

"Everyone in position?"

"Yes, they're ready to trace the call as soon as it comes in," Munch confirmed, his hand resting on his own phone so he could pick up as soon as Elliot did to listen in on the call.

It was eerily quiet in the squad room after that, and they all jumped when Elliot's phone started ringing again. Elliot sat down in his chair and took a deep breath before reaching for the phone. He looked at his co-workers, who were also his friends, and then picked up, as did Munch.

"Special Victims unit, this is Detective Stabler."

"Detective Stabler. Well well well. It's been a long time."

Elliot frowned and glanced at Munch, who was listening to the voice intently. Munch shrugged, not recognizing the voice either, and Cragen signaled Elliot to keep talking.

"Who is this?" Elliot asked.

"That's not really important right now, Detective."

"Alright. Why are you calling?"

"Very simple, Detective. I have something you want."

…

 **Dun dun. More soon. Reviews are life.**


	3. Cold

**So, will we finally find out what happened to Olivia? Answer: yes. Sort of. Enjoy!**

...

3.

" _Who is this?" Elliot asked._

" _That's not really important now, Detective."_

" _Alright. Why are you calling?"_

" _Very simple, Detective. I have something you want."_

...

 **Two hours earlier**

"Your team is smarter than I thought."

His voice startled her. Had she been sleeping?

Olivia tried to open her eyes but remembered then. She was blindfolded and her wrists and ankles were tied together. She suspected it was duct tape. Her hands were tied to the headboard of the bed she was lying on, just like the first time she'd woken up here, wherever they were.

She had no idea how long she'd been here. She didn't even know how she'd gotten here. And she most definitely didn't know who this man was who had apparently knocked her out while she'd been out running, and was now keeping her somewhere for some reason.

What she did know was, that she was still in her running gear, including her running shoes. All that was missing were her phone and MP3 player. She was pretty sure she hadn't been undressed at any time and that was a huge relief under the circumstances.

She suddenly felt the man's hands grab her arms and she thought maybe her relief had been premature. Maybe he'd just waited for her to wake up again.

"My … my team?" she asked while the man tugged on her restraints until her hands were no longer tied to the bed.

"Yeah. I thought we'd have all weekend to get away but they're already aware that you're missing, so I'm gonna to have to improvise. We're moving. Now."

Olivia tried to think fast, trying to make sense of the little bit of information the man had given her so far. It made sense that her team knew she was missing because Elliot had been expecting her.

Elliot …

He was probably worried sick about her. He must have gotten just about everyone involved as soon as he realized she wasn't going to show up for dinner. No wonder the team was already looking for her.

She still didn't know how long she'd been with this man but the weekend wasn't over yet so it was either Saturday or Sunday. It had to be at least 24 hours, since the team had now gone public with her disappearance.

"What time is it?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could manage, but the man just chuckled and didn't answer her.

He hoisted her up from the bed and she tried to stand, but it was difficult with her ankles still tied together.

"Don't worry babe, I've got you," the man said, and suddenly, her feet weren't on the ground anymore. He had lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Hey! Let me go, you bastard!" she growled, struggling in a feeble attempt to get away from him. It was a reflex but it was useless.

"Shut up. And don't bother screaming for help, no one can hear you. If you think your precious team is gonna be able to find you, think again," the man said harshly while carrying her away.

Olivia weighed her options but blindfolded, with her hands and ankles tied, there wasn't much she could do. She would have to wait for an opportunity to try and convince the man to untie her, or at least take the blindfold off, so she could see where she was and who she was dealing with.

Cold air hit her face and she knew they were outside. Before she could take a breath, the man warned her again not to start screaming.

"Like I told you, no one can hear you, sweet cheeks. I could do whatever I want to you here and no one would ever know."

The man put her down on the ground. Olivia lost her balance but then her back hit something solid. It had to be the van. She heard the sound of a sliding door and then the man grabbed her by her upper arms.

"In you go."

"Where are we going?" Olivia asked, although she knew he wouldn't tell her.

The man shoved her backwards and she fell, her backside hitting the floor of the van hard. Olivia grunted and scooted backwards, trying to sit up. She heard the man hop into the van next to her. He grabbed her hands and secured her wrists to something inside the van.

"There. All set. Just another two hours and I'll have you all to myself."

Two hours? Olivia wanted to ask again where they were headed, but she heard the man jump out and close the sliding door. She swallowed and bit her lip. She shuddered at the thought of this man hurting her - what he was capable of. This wasn't going to end well. The only thing giving her hope right now was knowing the team was trying to find her.

…

Olivia's hands were so cold that she couldn't feel her fingers anymore. She was strapped to a hard chair, probably made of iron, and she was very uncomfortable. Aside from being unable to see or move her arms and legs, her mouth was now also taped shut with duct tape. The man was on the phone and she knew who he was talking to.

Elliot.

She wished she could tell Elliot she was alright given the circumstances. That the man hadn't laid a hand on her so far. He had even let her use the bathroom alone, untying her hands and closing the door almost completely so she could do her business in private - sort of anyway. There had been absolutely nothing in the tiny bathroom to use against her captor. The toilet didn't even have a seat and a single roll of toilet paper had sat on the floor. He'd poked her with his gun before turning away from her, threatening to shoot her in the leg if she would so much as try to take the blindfold off. As soon as she'd pulled her pants back up, he had come in and tied her hands again, behind her back this time.

Still, Elliot would want to know she hadn't been violated, other than being taken somewhere against her will. She knew he would worry about it.

The ride over here had been uncomfortable and she'd almost hoped the man would tie her to a bed again, so her body could rest. No such luck. Apparently, this phone call was the most important thing to the man right now and he'd strapped her to a chair and put tape over her mouth to keep her quiet.

" _Very simple, Detective. I have something you want."_

…

Elliot's heart was beating wildly in his chest. He had to remain calm now, and keep the man talking. But he just had to know that Olivia was still alive. That dream about her death had been too real and it still haunted him hours later.

"What do you mean?" he asked the man on the other side of the line as calmly as he could manage.

"Well … I'm looking at a lady right now that I believe means a lot to you," the man answered, and his voice was dripping with sarcasm and glee.

Elliot had to swallow several curse words and his hand trembled because he was squeezing the phone so hard.

"What did you do to her?" he hissed, trying not to yell.

The man chuckled and Elliot's blood was boiling. Cragen put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, telling him without words to stay focused. He needed to keep the man talking so they could pinpoint his location.

"I think the right question is, what are you willing to do to get her back?"

 _Anything_ , Elliot thought. He'd do absolutely anything to get her back. But he had to keep his emotions in check for now and not show any weakness.

"Just tell me what you want, and we can get down to business," he gruffed, and Cragen patted his shoulder encouragingly.

Elliot looked behind him to see if the tech people were getting anywhere, but they were typing on their keyboards frantically and weren't looking at him. While Cragen walked over to them to ask them how the trace was coming along, Elliot heard the voice speak again.

"I'm giving you six hours to get me a million dollars in small, used bills. I will call again in exactly six hours from now to give you instructions. Meanwhile, I think I'll enjoy myself just fine with the pretty lady here."

Elliot heard a muffled sound and he jumped up, calling her name before he could stop himself.

"Liv! Liv, are you alright?"

But all he could hear was the man laughing.

"Six hours, Detective," the man repeated and then suddenly the call was disconnected.

…

Olivia tried to pull away. The man's bad breath was making her nauseous. He'd come so close to her deliberately and she'd fallen for it. She had tried to make a sound and Elliot had heard her. She had heard him call her name and she had squeezed her eyes shut behind the blindfold. She'd heard the panic in his voice. He must have gone out of his mind when she didn't show up at his place yesterday. Or was it the day before yesterday? She had no idea. She didn't even know if it was day or night.

Suddenly the man cut the tape he had used to tape her bound wrists to the back of the chair, and he told her to stand up. She complied. Then he yanked the tape off her mouth and Olivia cried out involuntarily.

"Sorry babe," the man mumbled.

"Screw you," she spat back at him.

The man chuckled - he seemed to do that a lot - and Olivia decided not to give him anything else to gloat about. She was relieved when he cut the tape that had been holding her legs together, so she could finally walk on her own.

"How about a nap?" he asked. "You must be tired. I know I am."

He grabbed her arm and started pulling her along with him. Olivia stumbled a bit. It was difficult to keep her balance with her hands tied together behind her back. She worried about where they were going and was going to happen next, and she tried to keep breathing regularly. A nap could mean anything. He did say he wanted to have some fun with her and she wasn't sure if that had just been for Elliot's benefit or if he'd meant it. She kept stumbling as they moved from the first room through some sort of long hallway, and then took a flight of stairs down to another room. Was it a basement? She tried to get out of the man's grasp a few times, but he only held her tighter. His big hand was hurting her and she wondered how big this man was exactly. He'd tossed her over his shoulder effortlessly earlier and she shivered, realizing that she was no match for him physically. She would have to try and get to him in a different way.

How she wished Elliot was there with her. They were good at playing mind games together and she was confident they'd get some useful information out of him. But she was alone so she would have to be smart about it.

They finally reached the room where the man planned to keep her and he led her to a bed.

"I know it's a bit cold in here, but don't worry babe. I'll keep you company," the man sneered and Olivia's breath caught in her throat.

The man grabbed her upper arms and pushed her backwards until she hit the bed with the back of her knees.

"Sit."

She complied.

"Now lay down."

Olivia did as she was told.

"Move over."

She wasn't sure how far she could move over and with her wrists still tied together behind her back, she couldn't feel around either.

"Could you?" she asked, turning on her side to show him her bound wrists.

"Don't try anything. I _will_ shoot you," the man threatened before she felt the mattress dip and felt his hands on her hands.

"Okay," she said softly, hoping to convince the man that she was going to do whatever he said.

As soon as her hands were free she flexed her fingers and wrists a few times and rubbed her hands together for some warmth.

"Now move over," the man repeated and Olivia reached to her right until she felt the end of the bed. She swallowed hard, realizing it was a double bed, and then scooted to the right.

"Good girl," the man said.

When he grabbed her hands again and pulled them up to the iron frame headboard of the bed, she couldn't suppress a tiny whimper.

"What?" the man said, lowering her hands, and he didn't snarl like he usually did.

"My hands … they're freezing. Do you really have to tie me up again?" she said meekly, and it wasn't entirely an act.

The man was silent for a few moments, thinking about her request. Then came the verdict.

"You're a cop. I know your hands are cold but I can't trust you."

He pulled her hands up again and it was the first time Olivia was glad to be wearing a blindfold. She wasn't going to show him her weakness. He couldn't see her tears.

…

"And?"

Elliot had ran over to the technicians but they shook their heads.

"I'm sorry Elliot," Ruben said. "I'm not sure what kind of technology he's using but the signal kept bouncing all over the place. We couldn't pinpoint the source. For all we know, he isn't even in the city anymore."

"Dammit!" Elliot yelled. "So now what?"

"We're going to analyze all the data and see if we can break the code, but it's going to take a while," Ruben explained.

Elliot looked at his Captain, who would have to make a decision.

"I'm calling 1 PP. We need a million dollars," the older man said firmly before walking into his office to start making phone calls.

Elliot breathed out and leaned his fists on Ruben's desk, hanging his head. At least the Captain knew what was at stake. They'd get the million dollars. Now he just had to find a way to get through the next six hours without losing his mind. He shook his head, trying not to think about Olivia at the mercy of some deranged prick. She was tough but this guy had been able to overpower her, and no doubt was keeping her under his control. He didn't want to think about what he could do to her between now and his next phone call. He took a few deep breaths but he couldn't just sit here. He stood up straight and told the others,

"I'm going to the gym."

Fin stood up and both men looked at each other.

"We'll get her back El," Fin said but Elliot knew he was tense too.

They all were. They were all filled with worry about what this unknown person might do to Olivia in the next few hours. He'd need her alive in order to get his money but that didn't mean she would be unharmed. Elliot swallowed hard and then made his way to the punching bag. He needed an outlet before he'd either hurt someone or hurt himself.

…

 **So now we know how Olivia is doing. What's next? Please review!**


	4. Why her?

**I'm not a techie so bear with me with regards to phone call rerouting. Let's see how this continues.**

...

 **4\. Why her?**

He was snoring. Her kidnapper was actually snoring next to her in the double bed. It was beyond frustrating that she couldn't see or move or do anything now that he was sound asleep. The man had taped her wrists together after pulling her hands through the iron frame headboard of the bed. Then he'd taped her ankles together again so the only thing she could do was move around a bit on her back or turn on her side. She had tried to break the tape on her wrists but it was too thick. He'd wrapped the tape around her wrists at least four times and she couldn't find a sharp edge to try and cut it with. Kicking the man with both feet wouldn't accomplish anything so she stayed perfectly still, grateful that he'd at least covered both of them with a few heavy blankets. If anything, this break would allow her body to warm up. And so far, he hadn't tried to touch her inappropriately at all.

Olivia wondered why he had snatched her up if it was just for money. Wouldn't some rich family have been a far more logical target? And how had he even known to call the precinct? She'd had her personal ID on her but not her police credentials. The longer she thought about it, the less sense it made. Sure, there was a lot of cash stored with the police but why go through the trouble of alerting the entire NYPD when there were enough filthy rich families in the city who would have had no problem paying him off without involving the police at all? Could it be personal for the man? Could he have a grudge against the NYPD? Or against the SVU? Or even against her?

That last thought got her thinking again. She hadn't recognized the man's voice at all, but could he be someone she'd busted once? Or her team? Maybe he was a relative of someone they'd caught. She would have to try and get him to talk to her after their nap. She should try to get some rest as well. At least she wasn't so cold anymore.

…

Four of the six hours had passed, and an armored truck was on its way to the 1-6, carrying the 1 million dollars in small used bills. John Munch had convinced Elliot to come with him to a local diner to grab some lunch. He would have to keep his strength up after all. He wanted to be the one to exchange the money for Olivia so he needed to at least appear well fed and rested, and calm enough not to do something stupid. Otherwise, Cragen would never let him make the drop.

TARU hadn't been able to crack the code of the perp's phone rerouting yet, but Ruben had told him the signal was most likely from somewhere in the city. They were just having a hard time narrowing the area down, because the signal bounced from state to state and even country to country via satellite. They would probably just have to wait until the perp called again so they would have more to go on.

The officers who were helping them out, had been doing some searching in the databases again after they had found out that the kidnapper was demanding a ransom. A few new names had popped up that were being followed up, but they weren't going to wait around and Elliot was glad the money was already on its way. He managed to eat something, encouraged by his old friend and coworker.

"It doesn't make sense John," he sighed, glancing around the diner before looking at the older Detective. "Why her? Why Olivia? For a million dollars?"

"I've been wondering about that too," John admitted. "And I think there is only one logical explanation."

"What, an alien abduction?" Elliot chuckled, and John grinned at him.

"Not this time," he said very seriously then. "I think it's personal. Has to be or this guy would never have kidnapped a cop for money. That's just insane."

"Maybe he is insane," Elliot said.

"Well, if he knows you're coming for him, he has to be," John said, eliciting another smile from Elliot.

"You better believe it. He's a dead man walking."

They were silent for a few moments and then John spoke again.

"We can't find anyone matching this MO in any of our past cases Elliot. And we're running out of people to check out who have been known to kidnap people. I've asked Fin and Ruben to run another search for people with high technical skills, because this guy isn't an amateur. He's probably been planning this for a while."

Elliot nodded and swallowed the last bite of his lunch, a hamburger with some fries and a diet coke. He'd been wondering if he'd missed something. If this kidnapping had been planned well in advance, the guy must have been watching Olivia for a while. He must have known she would be going out for a run. She did that on Fridays after all whenever she wasn't working. Maybe the guy had even seen him drop Olivia off at home over the past weeks. He should have paid more attention to their surroundings. If he had just gone home with her Friday, this wouldn't have happened. Or if he'd gone running with her.

He sighed and shook his head, looking down at his hands on the table. His knuckles were raw from punching the punching bag until they bled. He was her _partner_. He should have been there. He should have protected her.

"Elliot," John said and Elliot looked up at his companion. "He would have found a way. You know that."

His friend knew what he'd been thinking and he was right. He knew he was right, and yet … he felt responsible. Somehow, he felt responsible for her and he was determined to get her back one way or the other.

"You know that, right?" John insisted and Elliot nodded.

"Yeah," he sighed, although he didn't want to admit it. "Yeah, I know. Let's just … let's go back, alright? He's gonna call again soon."

...

He had made the first call at exactly 8.15 AM on Sunday morning, and they were all looking at the clock, waiting. It was 2.13 PM now. Two more minutes.

The two minutes passed and nothing happened. Elliot was pacing next to his desk, flexing his hands nervously. What if he didn't call back? They'd have nothing to go on except a general indication that they were somewhere south of Manhattan. They could be in Brooklyn or Staten Island, or they could be even further south, outside the city.

At 2.17 Elliot's phone started ringing and he grabbed it instantly, not even bothering to check if everyone was ready. They had been ready for ten minutes.

"Yeah."

"Well hello again," said the cheerful voice of the man who had taken Olivia away from him.

"I have the money," Elliot said harshly. "Now tell us where you are so we can make the exchange."

He knew he wasn't exactly sticking to protocol but he was angry and impatient. This situation had to end as soon as possible. Cragen stood next to him but Elliot didn't look up. He was solely focused on the voice of the man who was holding his life in his hands at the moment. Well, Olivia's life, but he felt like that was the same thing.

"What's the rush, Detective Stabler? Are you worried I might hurt your dear little friend? A little attached to her, are we?" the man taunted. He was clearly amused. "You are so impatient. We haven't even discussed the rules yet. Because if you don't stick to my rules, your precious _partner_ isn't going to be alive much longer."

…

Although Olivia couldn't hear Elliot, she knew how the man's words were affecting him. She didn't need to hear or see him to know. Elliot was a volcano that was about to erupt. He got that way when there were children involved and also when it was about her. She tried not to think too long about why he felt so strongly about her, or why she felt equally strongly about him for that matter. Now wasn't the time. Sitting tied to a chair again in another room than before, her mouth taped shut like before, she listened intently to the conversation her captor was having with her partner.

"So you have the money? Small used bills? ... Good. Good. I knew the NYPD would have no trouble getting it. All those drug busts, you guys are loaded."

Elliot was saying something that seemed to annoy the man.

"You don't get to ask questions, Detective!" he yelled. "Now listen. These are the rules."

Olivia bit her lip, feeling what Elliot must be feeling right now. Utterly frustrated but without much choice in the matter. He would have to hear the man out.

"You are going to come alone … Yes, you. Nobody else, Stabler. You're going to bring me the cash in an ordinary overnight bag … Yeah, a big one. Of course … You start driving and once I'm satisfied that nobody is tailing you, I'm going to call your cell and give you the location … Right. Only you, Detective. If I so much as _think_ there are other cops around, she gets it … You leave Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge. I'll contact you after you've crossed it. After I hang up, you've got ten minutes to get into your car … Yeah, the brown sedan … Alright. I'll call you again as soon as you're in Brooklyn. On your cell."

Olivia heard the man end the call and then she heard some clicking, as if he was pushing buttons or flipping levers. What was he up to? She heard him stand up and walk over to her and she flinched when she suddenly felt his hand on her head.

"Let's take this off now, shall we?" he said, and much to her surprise, after removing the tape from her mouth, he started untying the knot of her blindfold.

She squeezed her eyes shut when the black cloth finally came off and opened her eyes just a little at first. She hadn't seen a thing for a long time, probably almost two days now she estimated, and her eyes needed time to adjust to the light. There wasn't very much light in the room, since it only had one window and the curtains were drawn almost completely, but it was a lot for her eyes. And then the computer screens. The light from the screens hurt her eyes and she closed them again, wondering if it was a bad sign that he was suddenly allowing her to see him. Maybe he wouldn't need her for very much longer ... She tried not to think of what that might mean.

The man had walked away from her and came back with a bottle of water.

"You want something to drink?" he asked her.

Olivia blinked her eyes a few more times and then she looked up at him to see his face for the first time. She blinked again as her eyes tried to focus.

"I don't know you," she said.

The man just grinned at her and held the bottle close to her mouth. She opened it and he put the bottle to her mouth and tipped it so she could drink. She was extremely thirsty and drank as quickly as she could, not knowing when he'd pull the bottle away. Once she had finished about half the bottle and he pulled it away to drink the rest himself, she watched him a little more attentively.

He was tall, at least 6 foot 5, and clearly well-trained. He had dark short cropped hair, that would probably curl if he let it grow out a little. His grey eyes were relatively small for his broad, weathered face and so were his ears. He figured the man was about her age. Olivia tried to memorize each little detail of his appearance, including his big hands with fingernails that has been chewed off. He was wearing khaki colored army style trousers and hiking boots, and a dark blue long sleeve t-shirt. When he looked at her, his stare was cold. While he was menacing in a way, Olivia didn't think she would have to worry that the man would try to have his way with her any time soon. While she had been blindfolded, she hadn't gotten that vibe from him. And now that she could see his eyes, it only confirmed what she'd sensed about him. So she was just here for the money? Then why her?

"Why me?" she asked him finally.

The man shook his head and wagged his index finger in front of her face.

"Uh uh. You don't get to ask any questions. You just do as you're told."

Olivia quickly switched to a different tactic.

"Alright. What do you want me to do?"

The man chuckled again, and it was different to be able to see him now, and not just hear his triumphant chuckle.

"All in due time, sweetie. All in due time. Let's see if your boyfriend can take orders."

"Boyfriend?"

She looked sharply at the man but he just chuckled again and turned away from her to return to his laptop and his other two computer screens.

 _Condescending asshole_ , Olivia thought, but she managed to keep quiet. Starting an argument with her captor wouldn't do any good, especially now that she'd seen his face and would be an undesired witness soon. But what _was_ a good way to find an in with this mysterious man?

…

"Captain, you heard the man. You can't send anyone along. I have to do this alone."

"Elliot, you know I can't do that. I'm not allowed to let that cash get out of my sight, and aside from that, I'm not about to let you walk into an unknown situation without backup."

Elliot knew his Captain was right and that his backup would know how to stay out of sight, but he was worried. Too worried. He had a very bad feeling about the whole thing and he just couldn't calm himself down. Cragen knew that, and right now, he was grateful that the kidnapper had demanded that he bring the cash. Otherwise, his superior officer would never have let him go. Maybe not even as backup. His feelings for Olivia were a handicap and they both knew it.

John Munch knew it too and he assured him that he wouldn't do anything to endanger Olivia's life and he and Fin knew how to make sure they weren't detected. Still, it wasn't easy for Elliot not to be in control.

"Besides," Captain Cragen added suddenly, "I have a feeling this guy knows exactly how we work. He'll know you have backup. Even if we didn't tail you, we'd still be able to locate your phone."

The Captain's words weren't exactly reassuring. Elliot had a very bad feeling about the whole thing. But right now, he had no other choice but to comply with the man's demands. It was the only way to get any closer to finding Olivia.

…

 **So, why Olivia indeed. She doesn't seem to know her captor but he knows a few things about her and Elliot. What's his game? More soon.**


	5. Uneasy

**I was going to write a longer chapter but then I thought, this is a good place to stop. * Insert evil laugh here * Enjoy!**

...

 **5\. Uneasy**

Now that her eyes had adjusted, Olivia was peering at the computer screens on the table. The house they were in looked like it had been abandoned for quite a while and there was hardly any furniture. This room must have been the dining room and her captor was using the large dining table as a desk for his equipment.

One of the screens alternated between showing a view of the entrance to a building and what was probably the area in front of that building, and the other one was showing a room that was most likely a little bit further inside the same building. Olivia thought she spotted the entrance in the far corner of the second screen.

Elliot was on his way over. The man had some kind of tracking program on his laptop and as soon as the red and green dots he was tracking had entered Brooklyn, he'd called her partner again, giving him an address on Battery Road on Staten Island. It didn't make sense. They had driven for almost two hours straight before they got here. Was he sending Elliot on a wild goose chase?

Right after Elliot had repeated the address back to him, the man had ordered Elliot to toss his phone out of the car. She'd seen the red dot stop on the map and knew Elliot had complied. She would have done the same thing. Anything to get to her partner, although she was beginning to wonder if it wasn't a trap. Surely both Elliot and the man would know that the team was following him, so what was the plan? The real plan?

Olivia noticed the green dot was still moving. He must have put a tracking device on the car as well. She should try to get the man talking.

"What is this place?" Olivia asked, nodding at the screens when the man turned around to face her.

The man grinned and turned back to his screens.

"You don't need to know babe. Just keep your eye out for a familiar face."

Olivia swallowed hard. Elliot was going to appear on those screens?

"Doesn't look like a house to me," she tried again.

The man chuckled and the sound was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Wow lady, you should be a cop. So perceptive."

Her heart sank. Wherever Elliot was going, it wasn't the same place where they were. Elliot seemed to be walking straight into a trap. She got even more worried when the man walked out of the room and came back in with a suitcase. He put it on the table and opened it, and the contents made Olivia's stomach flip. She'd only ever seen suitcases like that on TV but she knew what it was. With this device, the man could detonate explosives remotely. It _was_ a trap. Olivia's breathing picked up and she was trying to think fast.

"What about the money?" she asked. "You have someone there to pick it up?"

Surely he wouldn't want to blow up a million dollars?

"That's none of your concern babe," the man said, and she wished he would stop calling her 'babe'.

"Well, it would be a shame if you went through all this trouble and end up with nothing to show for it," Olivia tried again while watching the man switch on the equipment inside the briefcase.

"Don't you worry about me. I know what I'm doing."

She didn't doubt it for a second. Everything about the man oozed preparation and confidence, even if he'd talked of improvising earlier.

The green dot was nearing the bridge to Staten Island and Olivia sent up a silent prayer for her partner. _Please let him realize it's a trap._

...

Elliot had a very uneasy feeling and right now he was actually glad that the team was keeping an eye on him. He had no other option but to go to the address the man had given him, knowing full well that it might not be Olivia's location. His Captain was right. This man would know how the police operates and he wouldn't give up her location just like that. Still, the man was their only connection to Olivia so he would have to play along. At least until Ruben and his team could finally pinpoint the man's location.

He needed to stay focused on the goal and not allow his mind to wander too much, because all kinds of what-if scenarios were begging for his attention. The drive to Staten Island took him too long and he knew he wasn't the most chivalrous driver right now.

Cragen had thrust a burner phone in his hand just when he was about to leave with the bag full of money and as soon as the traffic was a little less dense on the bridge, Elliot called his boss to relay the address the man had given him.

"Chopper is in the air. We'll have our men out there before you get there," Cragen promised him.

After ending the call, Elliot slowed down a little. He wanted Fin and Munch in position before he reported at the address on Battery Road. It would only take him a few more minutes to get there.

Elliot parked the car in front of the warehouse and got out, looking around to see if there were other people around. He knew the army reserve center was further down the road and there were homes in the other direction, but this part of Battery road was pretty much deserted. He took a deep breath and opened the trunk to pull out the heavy bag with the cash before starting to walk towards the entrance of the building.

…

"Ah! There you are," the man said gleefully and Olivia swallowed hard.

The images on the screens were a little blurry but she'd recognize him anywhere. Elliot was walking up to the building, carrying a bag. Ransom for her release. But by now, she knew the man had no intention of letting her go. They were nowhere near that warehouse where Elliot was. She wanted to ask the man how Elliot was going to know what to do with the money, but before she could say anything, the turned around and put a finger over his lips.

"Not a peep babe," he warned and Olivia quickly nodded.

He switched another lever and suddenly they heard some crackling, and Olivia could actually hear Elliot's footsteps as he walked into the building. Would he be able to hear her if she cried out?

The man put on a headset and then spoke.

"Welcome Detective," he said, and she could hear his voice echoing, as if it was coming from the monitors as well.

Elliot stopped walking abruptly and looked up.

"Please walk about thirty feet further," the man instructed.

Olivia watched Elliot comply. She was biting her lip nervously and glanced at the briefcase again. Several lights were blinking so it was active.

"Now put the bag down and walk back the same thirty feet."

"Not until I see my partner," they heard Elliot say firmly.

The man chuckled and Olivia took a deep breath. He heard her and turned around again. He didn't say a word but the look in her eyes told him that he still wanted her to be quiet, or else. She feared for Elliot's life and knew that if she was going to try and alert Elliot, she would have to do it as just the right time.

"Hello?!" they heard Elliot yell. "Show yourself!"

"Not so fast, Detective. First, put the bag down and walk back thirty feet."

"Not until you prove to me that Detective Benson is alright."

The man stood up and moved his chair so he was closer to Olivia as well as the briefcase.

He pressed a button with one finger, shutting off the microphone, and then told her,

"You can say his name, just once. Anything else and this doesn't end well for you. Or him."

Olivia closed her eyes for a few moments. To the man it might look like she was upset, which was true to an extent, but she was trying to think of the best way to use this one tiny opportunity to say something to Elliot.

"So I'm gonna turn this thing on," the man said, and Olivia opened her eyes again.

His foul breath was making her want to pull away from him, but she'd need to get closer to be able to speak into the microphone.

"You tell him 'Elliot, I'm here,' and then I switch it off. No tricks. You know what this suitcase is for, right?"

She nodded. She knew what it was for, and she knew that the man had every intention of using it, no matter what she said or didn't say. The man moved his hand towards two levers on the equipment in the suitcase and then opened the microphone again.

"Listen up Detective. I'm putting your girlfriend on now," the man sneered, and then he nodded at Olivia, his fingers on the two levers.

Olivia looked at Elliot on the screen once more. He was standing there, motionless, still holding the bag with a million dollars in it, and looking up to where the man's voice was coming from.

"Liv?" he shouted. "Are you there?"

Olivia took another deep breath, and then shouted as loud as she could,

"Elliot! Run!"

"Fuck!" the man hissed, and simultaneously he flipped both levers of the detonator.

Olivia had seen Elliot freeze when she'd called out to him, and it took another second before the long-distance detonation took effect. Then suddenly both monitors went black and the sound was cut off.

…

" _Elliot! Run!"_

It was Olivia. Unmistakingly. He reacted on instinct to her command, not questioning it for even a split second. He'd had this uneasy feeling all along and Olivia's warning made him spring into action, running back towards the exit of the building.

And then there was an explosion. It sounded like dozens of them and the sound of the blast as well as concrete and bricks crashing down around him was deafening. Elliot took one last jump forward when he was at the exit and then everything went black.

...

It was eerily silent in the room and Olivia was frozen in place, her eyes as well as her mouth wide open.

"You stupid bitch!" the man yelled in her face. "I took out all the cameras in one go because of that stunt you pulled!"

Olivia tried to keep breathing but she was struggling. Had this idiot really blown up the place? Had Elliot gotten away in time? Was he hurt? Or worse?

Tears welled up in her eyes unexpectedly and the man moved away from her, shaking his head. She heard him mutter something about women never doing as they're told while he shut down the equipment in the briefcase and closed it. He sat back down and moved his chair to his laptop, that was still showing the single green dot, marking the place where Elliot had parked the car.

 _Elliot._

Was he still alive? What kind of cruel game was this man playing? Wasn't it about money after all?

"Why are you doing this to me?" Olivia finally asked, her voice thick with emotion. "What did I ever do to you?"

The man chuckled and Olivia wanted to strangle him for doing that all day long.

"Oh boy. For a cop, you're pretty dense lady. You really think this is about _you_? Typical. All you women are alike."

Olivia frowned and looked down at her lap. She couldn't let her concern for Elliot overwhelm her and she kept telling herself he was okay. He was okay because she had warned him. He had to be okay. He was fast. Surely, he'd gotten away in time. Surely …

"So then why?" she asked quietly and when the man stood up and walked over to her again, she looked up at him. "Is this about Elliot?"

"Your boyfriend is a snake. That's all I'll say about it," he barked at her. "Maybe, _if_ he is still alive after what _you_ made me do," he added menacingly, stabbing at her shoulder with his index finger, "we can have another chat about it. All in good time, _honey_."

"You were gonna blow him up anyway," Olivia muttered.

"Yeah well, I didn't want to pull both levers simultaneously, _Detective_. That way, we could have seen if he'd manage to get out. Now … I'm just gonna assume he's gone. So tell me, Detective Benson, what do I need _you_ for anymore?"

…

 **Dun dun!**

 **Reviews are life.**


	6. Injured

**6\. Injured**

When Elliot came to, the first thing he registered was the sound of sirens. Then yelling and feet running all around him. And a voice, close to him. Fin.

"El! Elliot!"

He tried to open his eyes. He was covered with debris and dirt and it was in his eyes as well. Then he registered a weight on his legs and lower back and he groaned.

"Cap, he's alive but he's trapped underneath the rubble … Yeah, they're on their way. I'll keep you posted."

Elliot tried to open his eyes again and tried to move his arms. His arms were okay. He tried to lift his head and felt dirt and small pieces of concrete run down his neck.

"Hold still, Elliot. We don't know if your neck is injured," he heard Fin's voice above him, and he lay his head down on the concrete again.

And then he remembered.

 _Olivia!_

Fin had stood up to direct a few other men in his direction, who would lift whatever was pinning him to the ground. Elliot lifted his head again. His neck was fine and he had to get up to look for Olivia. He blinked a few times to get the sand out of his eyes, and could finally pushed his upper body up to look around and ignored Fin's renewed warning to lay still. How could he lay still when the building behind him had just exploded, possibly with Olivia inside?

He looked over his shoulder and saw a few firemen grabbing a piece of concrete that was on top of his legs.

"Hold still El," Fin tried again, but as soon as Elliot felt the weight lift off his right leg, he moved it.

Fin gave up trying to keep him still and helped another fireman to lift the block that was on the left side of his lower back. Elliot pushed himself up on his arms and pulled his knees underneath him. His back was killing him but he wasn't going to admit that to Fin or his Captain. He had to get inside that building to look for Olivia. Or what was left of the building.

After standing up slowly, he froze for an instant when he looked at the pile of rubble that the front of the building had turned into. At least half of the warehouse had either been destroyed or was on the verge of collapsing.

Elliot started walking towards the building but was grabbed by Fin and the fireman at once.

"Nobody is going in there until we've cleared the building," the fireman said sternly.

Elliot tried to break free, struggling against both men despite the flashes of pain that shot through his back.

"She could be in there! We gotta pull her out!"

"Nobody is going in there until it's safe. We don't want anyone else getting killed."

"What?!"

Elliot was in the man's face instantly, fuming.

"What do you mean, anyone _else_! You don't know if she's dead!"

Cragen came jogging over, having arrived at the scene a few minutes earlier. He put a hand on Elliot's shoulder and nodded at the men holding him that it was okay to release him.

"Cap ..." Elliot started, but Cragen interrupted him.

"Elliot. We all want her to be safe but it's highly unlikely that they were in there. You know that."

Elliot turned away from his boss, looking at the damaged building again and back at Cragen. He was frantic and needed to do something. He couldn't just stand here and do nothing.

"You're lucky to be alive, Elliot," Cragen said calmly, but Elliot knew the older man was worried about Olivia too.

"She warned me."

"What?"

"Liv. She … she yelled at me. Elliot, run."

"From inside?"

Elliot nodded.

"The guy spoke to me as well."

"Shit," Fin muttered before dashing off to talk to the incident commander to tell him there might be people inside.

"Did you see them?" Cragen asked him urgently and Elliot shook his head.

"Could have been a recording," Cragen suggested.

"No. I talked to him. He responded to me. I demanded to hear Olivia and he put her on. That's when she told me to run."

Elliot tried to walk in the direction of the building again, ignoring the stinging pain in his lower back.

"Elliot, you're limping," Cragen observed, walking with him. "You need to be checked out."

"After we find her," Elliot snapped and he wanted to scream when he was stopped once again, by the incident commander this time.

"Sir, you can't go in yet. We have our scanning equipment set up. If there are people inside, we will know soon enough. We've already picked up a signal that seems to indicate there is broadcasting equipment in there. The people you heard may not have been here at all."

Elliot finally let Cragen and Fin lead him to an ambulance that was already on the scene. He needed to get a grip on his emotions soon. Olivia had saved his life, but what good was that if he'd have to go on without her? He might as well be dead himself. What was the point, without her by his side?

...

Olivia felt like crying but she choked back her emotions, looking up at her kidnapper defiantly.

"Without me, you have nothing," she said as calmly as she could manage. "No money, no collateral. I don't think you would kill your only asset."

She could tell the man was a little surprised at her reaction but he recovered quickly.

"Let's just wait and see if your boyfriend is still alive, alright? I have ways of finding out, you know."

Olivia closed her eyes, swallowing a lump in her throat. She was grateful right now that this man was so resourceful. She needed to know if Elliot was alright. What would be the point of trying to escape if he wasn't? That thought startled her less than it should have and she bit her lip, hoping the man wouldn't see how upset she truly was.

"I was gonna go for one of his kids ya know," the man suddenly volunteered, and Olivia forced herself into cop mode again. This was important information. When she looked at him, now sitting across from her at the table, he continued.

"I'd been tailing him for a while, trying to get a read on his routine. Then I saw him with _you_. Now _that_ was interesting to watch. I knew right away that by taking you, I'd hit him where it hurt the most."

Olivia didn't know what to say. This man had been watching them and he had an axe to grind with Elliot. But why?

"I started following you to study your schedule. And after a while I knew. Your Friday night run. That's when I'd strike. And now here we are."

"So we are," Olivia said.

Going along with what the man was saying seemed wise right now. He was still a little out of sorts after inadvertently blowing up all his cameras in one go and it wasn't the right moment to pick a fight.

When he didn't say anything else and started making them something to eat in the kitchen, Olivia mulled over the information he'd given her for a while. She tried to work out a tactic to get into his head. She'd have to play him, and let him think she was as much one of Elliot's victims as he apparently was. She didn't know if it would work, since the man stubbornly kept referring to Elliot as her boyfriend. If he really believed they were romantically involved, would he buy her act? She needed more information. Why had the man called Elliot a snake? And where were they?

...

Elliot couldn't really focus on what the doctor was telling him. Something about possibly dislocating one of his intervertebral disks, which was causing his back pain. And risk of further damage. If they thought for a minute that he was going to take it easy while Olivia was still missing, they had another thing coming.

"Did you hear that Elliot? You're going to the hospital to have pictures of your back taken," Cragen told him.

"Yeah yeah. We'll do that later," Elliot said absentmindedly, his focus now on John Munch, who came walking up to them.

"And?" he asked his old friend.

"They've completed the scan of the building. There are no bodies inside."

Elliot let out a ragged breath and covered his face with his hands. He wanted to cry from sheer relief. She hadn't been inside after all. So where _was_ she?

"Do they have an idea how Elliot was able to hear Olivia and her kidnapper?" Cragen asked.

"There's electrical equipment inside but it will take a while to get it out. They will probably need to collapse more of the building before it's safe."

Elliot was trying to breathe normally again. The pain in his back was killing him and he knew it would be wise to go to the hospital soon. At least he was sure now that Olivia hadn't died in the blast.

"Is he alright?" he heard Munch ask their Captain.

"No. He needs to go to the hospital. Now," Cragen said, making it sound like an order.

"Yes sir," Elliot muttered. "Just keep me posted on whatever they find, okay?" he asked Munch.

"Goes without saying," Munch assured him.

...

"Thank you."

Olivia had spoken softly and while she really was grateful that the man had finally untied her hands so she could eat, she was being far more demure than she would normally be. Her legs were still tied together, and the man was watching her, so this wouldn't be an opportunity to try and escape.

"Just eat up and you can use the bathroom, and then I'll have to tie you up again because I need to run an errand."

His voice had been harsh but now that Olivia knew that Elliot was the man's real target, she could place his behavior towards her a little better. He hadn't really hurt her at all, aside from tossing her around a bit. He wasn't gentle but he wasn't aggressive either. Not against her. She wanted to try and build a rapport with him.

"So … I don't know what I should call you. Won't you tell me your first name?" she asked quietly while stirring her macaroni with vegetables and tomato sauce.

The man shook his head, chewing his own bite of food.

"Mhm. No."

"Alright. Then I'll pick a name."

He looked up at her and frowned. Olivia shrugged.

"I can't keep calling you 'hey you', can I? How about Jack? You look like you could be a Jack."

She could tell that Jack wasn't his name. He didn't have much of a poker face and she tried to think of other questions that would make him give away things without realizing it.

"So Jack," she continued, "are you from New York originally?"

"If you think I'm going to tell you anything about myself, you're sorely mistaken, lady," Jack gruffed.

"I am from the city. Born and raised," Olivia continued as if he hadn't said anything. "And I'm pretty sure we're not in the city anymore."

Jack's eyes flicked to the window and Olivia could see in his eyes that he wondered how much she'd seen of their surroundings. It confirmed to her that they were, indeed, no longer in New York.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about where we are, babe. I'll take good care of you," Jack said, trying to sound a little suggestive and threatening, but Olivia could tell it was an act.

There wasn't a fiber in the man's being that was attracted to her as a woman. It made her wonder what _would_ get his juices flowing. He had to be someone connected to an old SVU case.

Olivia feigned discomfort and quickly finished hear meal, not knowing when she'd be able to eat again. So far, Jack taking good care of her had only consisted of water and she'd been starving. As they both finished up, one of Jack's computers bleeped, and he jumped up to check it out.

"Aha," he said triumphantly, and Olivia tried to look around him to see the screen he was watching.

"What is it?" she asked, hoping he would have news about Elliot somehow.

"Your boyfriend was just checked into a hospital. good."

Olivia pressed a hand to her mouth. The relief was overwhelming and she tried to suppress a sob while blinking to keep her tears at bay. Elliot was alive! Injured but alive. She didn't trust her voice right now and didn't ask if Jack knew why he had been admitted to a hospital. At least he was in good hands for now.

Jack had sat down at his computer and seemed to be logging in to the hospital's records. Why would he have access to those, she wondered. Maybe she could get to that computer herself and find out more about Elliot's condition as well as who 'Jack' really was.

"Scheduled for an X-ray of his back. A few cuts and bruises. And it looks like they got his phone back. Good. Very good."

Olivia closed her eyes and tried to keep breathing regularly. Elliot wasn't hurt badly. Knowing him, he'd get out of hospital as soon as possible to continue looking for her. It was what she would do for him. It was who they were as partners. Friends. As two people who cared deeply about each other.

...

"You're not putting me on leave," Elliot insisted, standing tall to prove to his boss that he was ready to go back to work.

"You heard her," Cragen shot back. "You almost suffered permanent damage to your back. They were able to push the disk back but you have been ordered to take it easy. You're on pain meds now that effect your concentration and that can make you dizzy. I'd order bed rest if you still lived with Kathy but …"

Cragen sighed. Elliot wasn't going to sit at home and do nothing, and his boss knew it.

"I'll go and find the doc again and ask her if you could be put on desk duty. Although I doubt it with that back injury," Cragen added as a warning before walking off to find the surgeon again who had treated Elliot.

Elliot glanced around but before he could decide if he was just going to walk out of there, Munch walked up to him.

"Any news?" he asked his co-worker.

"They're going through the rubble now and they're finding some pretty high tech stuff. I think Ruben will find that every signal this guy has sent, will end up originating from that warehouse. He has probably been calling from somewhere else the whole time, and routing his signal through the equipment on Staten Island."

Elliot's shoulders sagged. This wasn't helping. She could literally be anywhere right now.

"They're going to try and find out where this equipment came from," Munch continued. "It's ultra high end and not what you'd buy at any ordinary electronics stores, so we may get a lead on where he got it. And possibly on who he is."

An officer came walking up to the two detectives and held up a phone.

"Found it," the officer said proudly. "Good thing we were tracing it and you left it on."

It was Elliot's phone and he thanked the officer for retrieving it for him. It had been his only line to Olivia so far, and he could only hope that her kidnapper would eventually contact him again.

"And the money?" Munch inquired.

"Barely a scratch on the bag, sir. We took it to the location your Captain asked us to store it."

"Thank you. Have a good night."

The officer nodded and took off, leaving the two detectives in the quiet hallway of the hospital.

"Now what?" Elliot asked.

"Now we wait," John Munch said.

"Like hell," Elliot muttered and Munch put a hand on his shoulder.

"What's the plan, Detective?" he asked the younger man softly and Elliot looked at him.

"You in?"

Munch's reply was instant.

"For Olivia? Always."

...


	7. Frustrated

7.

Olivia was tied to the bed again. She couldn't sleep and tried to place the sounds coming from outside while she waited for Jack to return. He hadn't put the blindfold over her eyes again and she wondered now why he'd made her wear it in the first place after they had arrived at what seemed to be their final destination.

It was quiet. Too quiet. They were definitely not in the city anymore and probably not even in a town. She heard birds chirping from time to time and she even thought she'd heard a dog or wolf howling once. And the sound of rustling leaves, making her think they might be in the woods. She heard no cars at all and not a single indication that there might be other people nearby.

Now that she could see, Olivia tried for a while to get her hands free but the duct tape had been wrapped around her wrists so many times, that it was impenetrable without something sharp to cut it. Jack used a knife but he had taken it with him. And even if he hadn't, there would have been no way for her to reach it.

She must have dozed off because she jolted awake when she heard Jack enter the house again. She knew they were in an ordinary house with a heavy front door, but the house had clearly not been occupied for years. The heating worked but barely, and there was running water and a stove to cook on, so they just had the bare necessities.

Jack stomped his boots a few times at the door, so they must have been soiled outside. It looked more and more like they were in the woods somewhere, far away from the civilized world. She heard him in the next room. Aside from some food, she suspected he had bought more electrical equipment. If only his purchases would show up on the team's radar, she thought. How else would they ever know where to look for her?

Although Jack seemed to have no intention of harming her physically, she felt anxious from time to time. How long were they going to stay here? What was Jack's plan? What if he really didn't need her anymore? No one would ever hear her if she cried out for help.

…

Elliot sat on the edge of his bed, clutching his phone. He was happy to have it back. It had been his only connection to Olivia's kidnapper, aside from his phone at the precinct. If the prick was tracking his phone, he should know that he had it and that he was home.

John Munch was making them some dinner. Elliot hadn't wanted to eat, but the older man had insisted that he needed to keep his strength up, because they would be heading out soon. He knew Munch was as much in the dark about Olivia's whereabouts or this guy's plans as he was, but his encouragement did help a little. Surely this wouldn't be the end of it? Olivia hadn't been in the building and the guy didn't have his money yet.

Cragen had sent him home. He was to get some rest, especially for his back, and would be on desk duty for short shifts until further notice. The painkillers had kicked in but Elliot knew that the injury was a tricky one, that could cause immense pain if he wasn't careful. He didn't care about pain as long as he could get to Olivia, but for now, they didn't have a single lead.

CSU had retrieved some very sophisticated equipment from the warehouse and was trying to determine where it had been purchased, and possibly by whom. Databases were being searched again, for criminals with knowledge of long range audio and video transmissions. Elliot was beginning to think the man might be former military.

He and Munch ate quietly and Elliot was glad his friend wasn't trying to make small talk. He wasn't in the mood. All he could think of was Olivia, and the panic he had heard in her voice.

' _Elliot! Run!'_

He knew her panic had been because of him. She knew what her captor was going to do and she had feared for his life. She had saved him. But what about her own life? He tried not to think about what the man might do to her but he couldn't help worrying.

Both detectives jumped when Elliot's phone suddenly started ringing, and Elliot almost dropped it when he grabbed the phone off the coffee table.

"Unknown number," he told Munch before answering the call.

"Stabler."

"Well well, look who is still in one piece. How's your back, Detective?"

Elliot closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Anger and relief were fighting inside him for dominance. He was furious with the prick on the other side of the line but at the same time, he felt a surge of relief that he was contacting him again.

"I'll live, no thanks to you," he gruffed.

Munch scooted a little closer to him and Elliot put his phone on speaker.

"No, that was your pretty little girlfriend."

"Let me talk to her."

"Now now, Detective Stabler. I would think you are in no position to make demands. Let me guess, you've been sent home to recuperate and are off the case. Am I right?"

Elliot exchanged a frustrated glare with Munch, who was rubbing his forehead.

"Just tell me what you want. You blew up all that cash so I'm guessing it's not really about money."

"I didn't blow up the cash, Detective. You know that as well as I do. And I'm guessing you know where it is, so I'm going to give you a chance to redeem your girlfriend's disobedience, and bring it to me after all. And this time, you are really coming alone. No backup, Detective or you'll never see your precious _partner_ alive again."

Elliot and Munch exchanged another look. Munch knew how to blend in and the man would never know there was a second Detective tagging along.

"Alright. Where do I go next?" Elliot asked.

The man chuckled and Elliot felt anger bubbling in his belly.

"Now that would be too easy, wouldn't it? First things first. I am going to call the pay phone down the street in exactly five minutes and give you instructions. Better get your coat, Detective. The clock is ticking."

Elliot jumped up and instantly grabbed his lower back. Munch stood too and put his hands on Elliot's shoulders.

"Breathe Elliot. Five minutes is more than enough time to get there," he said calmly.

Elliot nodded and took a few deep breaths. The pain subsided and he grabbed his coat.

"Wait here, in case he's watching," he told Munch, who simply nodded.

…

Jack had been talking to someone on the phone and Olivia guessed he had called Elliot. She was still in the bedroom and the door was closed, but the tone of Jack's voice had been the same as when he'd spoken with Elliot before. Chuckling, condescending. It was infuriating. He was toying with Elliot and it angered her. She could tolerate his behavior when it was directed at her but she hated how the man was tormenting Elliot. She knew it meant something that she and her partner were always fighting for each other. She had tried not to give it too much attention since they still had to work together, but now that he was officially single her mind went there sometimes. She didn't want to risk damaging their friendship or their partnership, but right now she knew she'd do anything to get back to Elliot, just so he wouldn't worry about her anymore.

Jack kept referring to Elliot as her boyfriend. He wasn't. But maybe, in a warped way, this criminal had seen something between them that they were afraid to acknowledge themselves. He had basically said so. Why else would he kidnap her over one of Elliot's kids if this was about revenge against Elliot? Elliot would have been just as frantic if one of his girls went missing, and she would be right by his side the whole time.

Maybe that was why. Elliot was alone now, and going out of his mind with worry. Jack was playing a sick game and she worried about how it would end. Was he planning on killing Elliot? She thought of his children again, and his ex-wife. Jack couldn't take Elliot away from them. And she thought of herself and her chin started trembling unexpectedly. He couldn't take Elliot away from her either. She blinked away the tears that were forming in her eyes and took a deep breath.

That was not going to happen.

She was going to get out of here. She didn't know how yet, but she was going to take down Jack and get back home to Elliot.

…

Munch jumped up when Elliot finally returned.

"What's that?" the older Detective asked him, pointing at the package in his hand.

"A burner phone. Found it taped underneath a trash can, just like he said."

Munch scratched an imaginary itch on his chin.

"He's meticulous. Planned everything far in advance."

"Yeah."

It worried Elliot. They weren't dealing with an amateur here and he couldn't help wondering what he would have in store for him next.

"Still nothing on the equipment?" he asked Munch, gesturing at the laptop Munch had been working on.

Munch shook his head.

"Serial numbers have been removed but they've narrowed the dealers down to a handful. The DA is getting a search warrant for all security camera recordings of those dealers. But it's a long shot. They have no idea how long ago the items were purchased."

Munch offered Elliot a cup of coffee and smirked when Elliot decided to inspect the pot first.

"It's your own brand, Elliot."

"Alright, I'll have some. Thanks."

"So what's next?" Munch inquired while he walked into Elliot's kitchen to pour them both a cup of coffee.

"We wait for him to call me on the burner phone."

Elliot sat down on the couch, moving slowly so he wouldn't strain his back. He had hoped those painkillers would do a better job and checked the time to see if it was time for his next dose yet. Eight PM. Olivia had been missing for over 48 hours now.

…


	8. Getting closer

**8\. Getting closer**

Jack had put her in a chair again and Olivia was relieved to get her second meal of the day. She needed to keep her strength up if she wanted half a chance to escape, and she also wanted to see if she could find a way to bond with Jack. He was being very careful not to give her too much freedom and had strapped her to the chair before untying her hands. Olivia tried not to show him how badly her wrists and shoulders were hurting by now. If she wanted to fake a bond with Jack, there was no room for complaints.

"Thank you, for this," she said quietly, pointing at the plate in front of her, that held a pretty decent pizza, already cut into eight slices.

Jack shrugged and dug in himself, sitting across from her at the large table.

"So … is Elliot going along with your plans easily? I know he can be pretty demanding himself."

"I'm not gonna tell you what my plans are, babe," Jack said with his mouth full.

"I know, Jack. That wasn't what I was asking. I mean … he can get pretty nasty when he's crossed."

"Not to you, I'm sure," Jack said, pointing his finger at her before licking some cheese off it.

Olivia scoffed.

"You'd think so, huh?"

Jack stared at her for a few moments and Olivia focused on her pizza, hoping her eyes weren't giving her away.

"He's a good partner on the job," she admitted. "Most of the time anyway."

"He seems pretty upset that I took you away from him," Jack stated.

"Of course. His partner is missing. How's that gonna look for the higher-ups?"

Jack narrowed his eyes and Olivia quickly took another bite of her pizza.

"I've seen you two together. You always looked pretty cozy to me."

Olivia wiggled her head while chewing her food. She had already practiced a few lines in her head, but it had to look natural so she was taking her time.

"Well, you may know that his wife divorced him recently. I can tell you her reasons weren't the most flattering for a man to hear after all those years. He's been buttering up to me ever since but I know it's an act."

"I don't see you going along with something like that."

"He's my partner and he outranks me. At the end of the day, I'd like to keep my job."

Jack started shaking his head.

"I don't believe you. When I watched you two together, you looked head over heels with each other. All those looks and little gestures."

Olivia shrugged.

"He needs his masculinity confirmed and I get through the day. It's a win-win situation. I should be nominated for an Oscar."

Jack thought about her words for a minute and then decided he had gotten his way anyway.

"Well, whatever you two are or aren't to each other, Stabler's fuming that I took you. Just the way I want him."

"Okay."

Olivia feigned hesitance.

"Well, for you to _want_ him outraged … you have to be very sure of yourself. I mean, he blows up at me too, but I know he wouldn't hit a woman. You on the other hand … he'd tear your head off if he got the chance. Just for making him look bad."

Jack grinned as if he was already looking forward to the confrontation.

"I guess I'll have to make sure he doesn't get that chance."

…

Elliot had dozed off on the couch when suddenly the burner phone started buzzing. Munch handed it to him quickly and Elliot rubbed his eyes while answering the call.

"Stabler."

"Good man. You have the phone. Now here's the plan."

Elliot listened intently and repeated the instructions the man was giving him so Munch could write them down. The guy warned him once more that he was not to inform his Captain or his coworkers this time.

"So why did you call the house the first time and get everyone alarmed?" Elliot asked.

The man just chuckled. He was playing a cat and mouse game with him and it infuriated Elliot.

"You just make sure you're in a rental car tomorrow morning at eight with the cash, headed north on the 87. I will contact you again when you're on the road."

The call was disconnected abruptly and Elliot tossed the phone on the couch next to him.

"I need the cash and a rental before eight tomorrow morning," he told Much.

Munch nodded.

"I know a guy. You just get some rest and I'll be back with the money and a car rented in your undercover name of Elliot McEvoy. Just in case the guy checks."

"Oh, he'll check," Elliot said.

He didn't know who they were dealing with but the guy was very meticulous.

He and Munch tried to get some rest after Munch had gotten them a car and the bag with the money in it. When Elliot asked him how he'd gotten the bag back, Munch simply told him not to ask. Elliot shook his head but felt grateful. He had a great ally in John Munch.

Elliot slept for a few hours thanks to his pain medication, that was also a tranquilizer. He had debated letting Munch drive, but in the end they couldn't risk it. They couldn't know if the perp was watching them, so Munch would hide in the back seat until they had an idea where they were headed. He'd have to drive extremely carefully with his body full of medication but his motivation to get to Olivia would keep him awake.

They had been driving on the 87 for about ten minutes when his burner phone rang. They hadn't dared to open the phone to check for a tracking device, but he knew now that there had to be one. How else would the man know where he was? Munch hadn't even brought a phone, just to make sure the man wouldn't pick up any extra signals.

"Yeah," Elliot said after putting the phone on speaker.

Munch was keeping his head down but listening intently in the back.

"I see you're on the road, _Mr. McEvoy_. You're now going to follow the 87 until you reach the 287. Take the 287 and cross the Hudson. You continue on the 287 until the exit to the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Keep going north. I'll contact you again soon."

With that, the man hung up.

"Where the hell did he take her?" Elliot said.

Munch peeked his head around the front seat and looked out the front window.

"Somewhere remote, I'm sure. I think he wants you alone, Elliot."

"He can have me. And when I'm done with him, there will only be bits and pieces left of him!"

"If you can, try to remain calm. I think he wants you all riled up," Munch stated. "He's playing us."

"You think she's still alive?"

Elliot didn't really want an answer to that question, knowing that John Munch would always be brutally honest with him. This time was no exception.

"I don't know. But there is only one way to find out."

Elliot pursed his lips and nodded, then stepped on the gas. They would reach the 287 shortly.

…

Elliot was on his way. That's all Olivia had been able to pick up from Jack's phone call that morning. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep but it was just enough to feel somewhat better than the night before. Jack had fitted a ring on the wall next to her side of the bed, to tie her hands to during the night. That way, she wouldn't have to sleep with her arms up the whole time. It had eased the pain in her shoulders a little. It did force her to stay on her right side all night long, and now her hips were killing her so she was glad to be up and in a chair again.

"Jack, do you think I could maybe walk around for a bit? You know, by way of exercise?" Olivia asked her captor quietly over breakfast. "All this sitting and laying down is killing me slowly."

If Elliot was arriving today, she wanted to be ready for a fight if it came to that. She knew she'd gotten to Jack a little the night before, and she was ready for some psychological warfare, but if there was a chance to escape right away, she wanted to be able to take it.

Jack didn't seem too eager to untie her legs but after he had allowed her a toilet break, he agreed to leave her legs untied for a little longer, as long as her hands were tied together behind her back. He probably figured she wouldn't be able to run fast that way, and he was right. It also made sure she wouldn't attack him or grab something she could use as a weapon or as a means to get out of the house.

Olivia accepted that she wouldn't be able to make a first attempt to escape just yet, and used the opportunity to do some stretching exercises and walk around the room. Jack was working on his computers again and when he checked his watch, she stood behind him and asked him,

"What time do you expect Elliot to be here?"

Jack whipped around in his chair to look at her with angry eyes.

"Back off lady, or you're back in the chair."

Olivia quickly took a few steps back but not after she'd spotted a blue dot on a map, that was moving up. Could that be Elliot's current location? She hadn't been able to make out the area that was displayed, but just knowing Elliot was getting closer filled her with concern as well as anticipation. They'd have to play this right. She wondered if anyone in the SVU knew where Elliot was. Could he be coming in without backup? She wouldn't put it past him. She would probably do the same thing for her partner in a possible life or death situation.

After she had moved away from Jack so she couldn't see his computer screens anymore, Olivia asked him,

"You don't expect him to just hand over the money, do you? You've seen him in action in the interrogation room. You know he's a master manipulator."

She knew she was taking a risk, assuming Jack had encountered Elliot in interrogation but her instinct paid off. The scowl on Jack's face told her she'd hit the nail on the head.

"Bastard can put words in your mouth if you're not careful!" he spat.

"Tell me about it," Olivia mumbled, turning away from Jack to feign discomfort, while in reality she was hiding a small but triumphant smile.

He _had_ met Elliot in interrogation. And Elliot had probably managed to get a confession out of him.

"What'd he set you up for?" Jack asked, and she kept her back turned to him, slumping her shoulders while trying to stop smiling.

It was the first time she'd gotten Jack to ask her a question. She was getting to him.

She shrugged.

"Just made me cover for a few of his blunders. I didn't really mind."

"I think you did mind," Jack asserted, and when she was certain her face wouldn't give her away anymore, she turned around to face him.

"Maybe. But as long as he does more good than harm …"

"Hah!" Jack barked, and Olivia recoiled, a little startled. "You don't know half of the harm he's done!"

Olivia took a step closer to the man, who was now completely distracted from his computer screens, and boiling with anger.

"So why don't you tell me about it."

...

 **A/N:**

 **How about that Olivia, getting to 'Jack'.**

 **And about one of them going rogue: remember how Olivia went to Lewis all alone to try and rescue the little girl? She** _ **would**_ **go in without backup if she thought she had to. I guess Elliot's lucky that Munch wouldn't leave his side.**


	9. Ghost town

**Long overdue, here is the next chapter of this story! As for the location, I've never actually been there so it's part real and part completely made up. Writer's prerogative :)**

...

 **9\. Ghost town**

 _"You don't know half of the harm he's done!"_

 _Olivia took a step closer to the man, who was now completely distracted from his computer screens, and boiling with anger._

 _"So why don't you tell me about it."_

...

Jack squinted and looked at her, studying her. Olivia wasn't sure how convincing she was, trying to seem emphatic to him.

"I'm sure he hasn't told you about it. We didn't mean anything to him," Jack gruffed.

"Who's 'we', Jack?" Olivia asked, sensing that he was on the verge of giving her more information.

"Me and my family!" he said harshly.

He had a family? Olivia was mildly surprised. She moved a little closer to Jack so she could sit on the edge of the table.

"Tell me about your family," she said kindly.

Jack shook his head.

"Why not, Jack?" she asked.

"Cause they're gone, that's why not!"

"Gone?"

"Yeah. Your boyfriend … or whatever he is … he killed them!"

Jack had jumped up and started pacing, and Olivia stood up straight again. What could he possibly mean, that Elliot had killed his family? If her hands hadn't been tied behind her back, she would have reached out at this point and put a hand on the man's arm to try and calm him. She couldn't, so her soothing voice would have to do.

"Jack … I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Sure you are," he said bitterly.

"Jack …" Olivia started again but he interrupted her angrily.

"Andy! The name's Andy! Stop calling me Jack, alright? It's a dumb name!"

Olivia held her breath for an instant. She had actually made him lose his composure and divulge his real name, and she had no idea how he'd respond to that.

"Just …"

Andy stopped pacing and held up his hands.

"Just stop talking to me. I need to concentrate. I'm gonna …"

He walked up to her and grabbed her arm, tugging her backwards towards her chair.

"Sit," he told her, and Olivia complied quickly, relieved that Andy wasn't becoming violent or otherwise out of control because of his slip-up.

He taped her legs to the chair again and then put duct tape over her mouth as well. It was frustrating for Olivia that she couldn't speak anymore, but she had gotten some information out of Andy that she needed to think about anyway. It was a little strange to start calling him Andy now. She had just gotten used to seeing him as a 'Jack' but she hoped the name would mean something to Elliot. And his family … she didn't know any further details but somehow she suspected that Elliot might have gotten him to confess to some crime, and his family had left him after learning what he'd done. But why would he say his family was dead? Could something have gone horribly wrong with an arrest? Surely, Elliot would have told her about such a tragedy?

She tried to peer at Andy's computer screens but he had made sure she couldn't see them clearly. When Andy picked up his phone, she perked up. Was he going to call Elliot again?

...

"We've been driving for 50 minutes," Munch mused from his position in the back seat. "I wonder when he'll call again."

Elliot glanced at the burner phone on the passenger seat. He had a headache that only seemed to be getting worse. He had no idea where they were going. He just had to believe that he was getting closer to Olivia.

"Maybe we're heading for one of the parks out here," he said.

"You have to consider the possibility of another trap, Elliot," Munch said gravely.

"I know John. I know."

He was aware that the man was playing a sick game but he had no choice but to go along with it for now. He focused on the road ahead of them again, and noticed that he was starting to slow down, as if he wasn't sure if he was still on the right track. They were far away from the city now and Elliot wasn't familiar with their surroundings. A sign indicated that they were approaching another exit, and just when Elliot wondered what he'd do if the man didn't call before he reached the exit, the burner phone started ringing again. Elliot slowed down some more and picked up the phone to answer the call.

"Yeah."

"Just keep going straight ahead. Don't leave the interstate. I'll call you again in exactly seven minutes."

With that, the call was over.

"What did he say?" Munch asked, since Elliot hadn't had time to put the call on speaker.

"Seven more minutes, then he calls again."

"Maybe it's time for me to get out then," Munch suggested, and Elliot nodded.

"We'll clear the exit first and then I'll find a spot. If he calls to ask why I've stopped, I'll just say I had to take a leak."

"Alright," Munch said. "I'll just follow the road into the park and hope he doesn't take you miles further. It'll take me some time to find you, Elliot. So you'll be on your own for a while."

"Understood."

They drove for a few minutes more in silence before Elliot pulled over and Munch hopped out of the car quickly.

"Be safe, John," Elliot said gravely.

"You too, Elliot."

He nodded at his friend and after Munch has closed the door, he drove off slowly, hopefully to where Olivia was.

…

Olivia could tell Andy was restless after ending his brief call with Elliot, but she hadn't expected him to pull out a gun. She blinked a few times when he looked at her. What was he going to do? Shoot her before Elliot got there, to make the torture complete? She tried to keep breathing steadily through her nose, since her mouth was taped shut, and watched while Andy set up a camera aimed straight at her, taking his time making sure it was going to film what he wanted it to. Was he going to film her shooting? Her heart rate was going up rapidly. This couldn't be how it was going to end. It just couldn't.

"I've got a very simple assignment for you," Andy told her gruffly. "Just sit still and look scared. Got it?"

He grinned at her but his eyes were cold. He switched on the camera, which was attached to his computer, and walked up to her. He stood behind her, facing the camera, and put his gun against her right temple. Then he started talking, addressing Elliot directly. Olivia swallowed hard. Andy was recording a message for Elliot, but what was the message going to be?

She heard him speak solemnly.

"Welcome, Detective Stabler. We finally meet again."

…

Elliot had received his final instructions. He now knew what his destination was. It was a house in a ghost town named Doodletown. He didn't know much about the place, only that it was remote, uninhabited but also popular with hikers. The area in Bear Mountain State Park was beautiful but he couldn't exactly enjoy the view at the moment. He was trying to find the house the man had described to him. His head was throbbing painfully and his neck and shoulders were tense. He was peering between the trees to find the wooden structure that the man had described to him. It wasn't close to any other buildings, but mostly hidden behind the trees, so if he didn't pay attention, he'd miss the driveway. He was going to leave the car in the road so Munch would be able to find it, and hoped it wouldn't raise the man's suspicions if he arrived on foot. And then he spotted the house he was looking for; or rather, a small pole with a number on it that the man had told him to look for. He stopped the car right in front of the driveway so Munch would understand where to go. It was a long walk for the older man, but Elliot knew he wouldn't give up until he found them. It wasn't a matter of if, but when.

For now, he was on his own. Elliot got the bag with the money from the trunk and checked his guns before walking up the driveway and up to the house slowly. He took in his surroundings and spotted a clearing with a small shed to the right. It looked like a tool shed or a place to stock some gardening equipment. Not that a lot of gardening had been done there recently, but Elliot could see that there had once been a vegetable garden there and he recognized some apple and pear trees in the yard next to the house.

When he got closer to the wooden house, he fixed his gaze on the brown front door. It seemed to be ajar and his heart rate accelerated. He didn't expect to just be able to walk in and get Olivia, but still, knowing he was close to her as well as potential danger made his adrenaline levels soar. He took the two steps up to the front door and pushed the door open. Before he could even process what he was seeing, he heard the man's voice booming.

"Welcome, Detective Stabler. We finally meet again."

Elliot froze when he saw a TV screen straight ahead at the end of the narrow hallway, about eight feet away from him. On the screen were Olivia, sitting in a chair, and a tall man behind her, holding a gun to her head. He could only see the lower half of the man's face.

"Now if you want to make sure I don't pull this trigger right now and end our adventure prematurely, you will set down the bag and put your guns on the floor," the man continued. "Both of them, Detective. The gun you have tucked in your belt and the one you have taped to your ankle. We'll wait."

Elliot took a step closer to the TV screen so he could see Olivia better. Her mouth was taped shut with duct tape and there was fear in her eyes. She had no idea what the plan was and he knew she feared for her own life as well as his. He was relieved to see her alive though, and he wasn't about to take unnecessary risks now.

"Come on, Detective," he heard the man urge. "Guns on the floor and then you take two big steps back."

He slowly set the bag with the money down on the floor, keeping his eyes trained on Olivia's face on the screen. Could she see him somehow? He pulled his gun out of his belt and set it down on the floor and then got down on one knee to get the gun he had, indeed, taped to his right ankle. He ripped off the tape and set the second gun next to the first one on the floor, stood up straight and took two steps back.

Before he could register what was going on, Elliot heard the man's voice again, only this time it came from behind him.

"Very good, Detective."

He heard a crackling sound and felt an electrical shock course through his body, and then everything went black.

...


	10. Motive

**This chapter reveals what Andy was convicted for. I've tried to use a subtle description but I decided to add a trigger warning here just in case.**

...

 **10\. Motive**

Elliot groaned and it was telling Olivia that he was finally coming to. She'd had some time to think of a strategy and could only hope Elliot would pick up on it soon.

She had feared for a few desperate moments that Andy had killed Elliot on the spot, but when he dragged Elliot's limp body into the bedroom, she saw the supersized taser dangling off his belt. Another one of his little techno tricks, no doubt.

She was tied to the bed again, arms through the headboard and wrists taped together, and was now blindfolded. Andy had removed the tape from her mouth though. She'd thought about that and she guessed that Andy might want them to talk. With his technological knowhow, she was sure he had the room bugged and would be listening to every word. She didn't know what his plan was now that he'd captured Elliot as well, but the whole thing was about getting revenge on Elliot, so she had to find a way to convince Andy she was sympathetic to him. She'd have to play him and it all depended on how well tuned in she and Elliot were to each other.

Elliot was sitting on a hard chair, arms taped together and to the chair behind his back, legs taped to the legs of the chair, and with a blindfold on. He'd opened his eyes a few times but was met with only darkness so he had given up on trying to keep them open. Instead, he focused on the sounds around him. He heard the faint sound of rustling and guessed it was the leaves of the trees around the house. He could also hear noises coming from another room from time to time. Someone was out there and he started taking a few deep breaths, getting ready to call out to whoever was there.

And then he heard her voice. Olivia.

"Finally! My hero is awake."

He frowned behind his blindfold.

"Liv?"

"I'm here. Tied up just like you, only I'm on a bed."

"Are you alright? Did he … did he hurt you?"

"No. Andy just used me to lure you here and voilà. Here you are. I guess he's smarter than you are after all."

Elliot opened his mouth to respond but he was slightly confused. He still felt foggy but the tone of Olivia's voice told him that she was playing some kind of game. A mind game maybe, to throw this guy off? And did she just say 'Andy'? Should he know this person? And could he hear them? Was he in the room with them? The pain in his back was coming back and it was actually helping him wake up. He had to know more about what Olivia was playing at, so he asked her,

"Liv. You think we could work as a team here? I've been worried sick about you!"

"I know that and I really appreciate your efforts to find me, but things haven't exactly improved now that you're here."

Elliot tried to think fast. He needed as much information as he could get from Olivia without arousing additional suspicion from the man who had captured both of them.

"I just don't know what his plan is," Elliot mused. "He has the money now."

"This isn't about money, Elliot. It never was. I thought you would have picked up on that by now. He almost blew you to bits the first time you tried to bring it to him."

Elliot remembered Olivia's desperate cry and he just had to thank her for saving him.

"He didn't succeed. Thanks to you."

Olivia bit her lip. Elliot's voice had suddenly been gentle and she knew what he was trying to convey to her. They couldn't let the panic of those moments out now, but they were both feeling the immense relief of being together again, and both still in one piece.

"How's your back?" Olivia asked, hoping Elliot would realize that Andy had eyes everywhere.

"Cragen ordered me to go home. Can you believe that?" Elliot answered.

"As if," Olivia huffed. "At least they didn't keep you overnight at the hospital."

Elliot was silent for a few moments and Olivia knew he was digesting what she was telling him between the lines. She was hoping he would somehow remember someone with advanced technical skills named Andy, so they could piece his story together. When Elliot was quiet for a long time, Olivia continued her game of semi-arguing with him.

"You don't know who he is, do you? You don't even remember breaking him in interrogation. He was right. He and his family didn't matter to you at all."

She knew Elliot was absorbing all the information she was giving him, meanwhile racking his brain, trying to figure out who Andy was. Unfortunately, she didn't have much more to tell him.

"If you could cut the crap for a moment and tell me what you know, maybe we'd be getting somewhere," Elliot said harshly, and Olivia had to suppress a smile.

He was playing along perfectly. They knew each other so well and it gave her a sense of security for the first time since she'd been kidnapped. And he was right. There was nothing overly-suspicious about exchanging information. Anyone in their situation would do that, friends or not.

"That goes both ways, Detective," she said, stressing the word 'Detective' as if challenging his detecting skills. "For starters, where the hell are we?"

"We're in Bear Mountain State Park, in a ghost town named Doodletown. Can you believe that?"

" _Doodle_ town? That's a ridiculous name. What was here? A pencil factory?"

Elliot couldn't help chuckling at Olivia's remark. Despite how uncomfortable and in pain he was, it made him feel warm inside to be working with her like this. It was clear to him now that their captor must be listening in and she had been trying to bond with the man. He'd vowed to tell her how he felt about her as soon as he saw her again, but it would have to wait. For now, he needed to make the man think Olivia might not trust him blindly, to see if they could find a weak spot in his plans.

"I don't know why it's called that, Liv. I just want to know why he took us here. What's his connection to this place? And what's his motive?"

"Well, if you could figure out _why_ he's so angry with you, that'd be great El," Olivia said sarcastically. "He says you killed his family."

Just then, they heard the door open and they braced themselves.

"Yes _El,_ " Andy said, copying Olivia's sarcastic tone. "Why don't you tell me why I'm so angry with you."

"Would help if I could see your face," Elliot said dismissively, intentionally fueling the man's anger some more. "I've put away a lot of sickos. Can't remember 'em all. Don't want to, either."

"Sickos? I know there's a lot of those out there Detective, but I'm not one of them. I _loved_ those girls! I treated them right!"

"So how come you ended up in my interrogation room then? Someone must have complained."

Andy huffed and Olivia knew his frustration was building. Now that he had Elliot, he wasn't as composed as before.

"That bitch of a mother complained. Not _her_. Not a single one of my baby girls complained until that old bat started to interfere."

"Tell him about your family, Andy," Olivia said kindly, willing away thoughts of what he could mean by his 'baby girls'.

Some pieces of the puzzle were beginning to emerge but they still didn't have the full picture.

"My family. Yeah. Remember them, Detective?" Andy snarled. "My beautiful bride and the baby she was carrying? She'd _just_ found out we were having a girl when you made me say those things and got me locked up."

And then, finally, something clicked with Elliot. He remembered that drama. They'd caught a child molester and it turned out he had a wife with a baby on the way. He'd spent a full 24 hours with the pervert before he cracked and admitted that the girls had cried and asked him to stop, only he couldn't stop. After hearing about the man's confession, the young woman had taken her own life, killing both herself and her unborn daughter. In a farewell note, she had said goodbye to her parents and other family and friends, saying that she couldn't bring her baby girl into Andy's life, for fear that he would do to her what he'd done to these other girls. She understood now that he'd chosen her because she was so petite and looked years younger than her age. She'd been twenty-two at the time but still had the body of a young teen. Police officers even pulled her over regularly to check that she was really allowed to drive.

"She'd rather die than expose her child to you," Elliot said harshly.

He remembered the pain he'd felt. The girl and her child could have been protected. Andy - Andrew Turner was his name! - was going to jail for a very long time and even if he got visitation, he would never be alone with his daughter. He hung his head, shaking it sadly but jolted upright when Andy suddenly pulled off his blindfold. Pain shot through his back because of the sudden movement and he gritted his teeth.

"Because of you!" Andy yelled in his face, and he could smell the man's bad breath.

Elliot's eyes needed a few moments to adjust to the light and while he blinked to see the man, he wondered how he could be out of prison already. It couldn't have been more than ten years ago that he'd caught him and he thought his sentence had been a lot longer.

"When did you get out?" he asked him, breathing through the pain in his back.

"You remember me now?"

"Yeah. I remember you, Turner."

"You killed them!"

Elliot suddenly remembered the wife's name.

"That's where you're wrong, Andy. _You_ drove Denise to kill herself, because of what you did."

Elliot knew they were playing a dangerous game, but he was counting on Olivia to find a way to cut through Andy's defenses. She didn't disappoint.

"Don't let him goad you again, Andy," came her soothing voice from the bed.

Elliot finally looked at her and his chest felt constricted when he saw her lying there, blindfolded with her wrists and ankles bound. She looked small in the big bed and he wished he could just pick her up and leave. But Turner seemed to have all his bases covered, the way he'd immobilized both of them. Elliot looked at the man, who was clenching and unclenching his fists by his sides, still glaring at him but from a distance now.

"That's it Andy. Just take a few deep breaths. He's just trying to confuse you," Olivia said calmly and Elliot had never admired her more.

"Maybe you can tell us how you got released early. Good behavior, I'm betting?"

Andy cleared his throat and walked up to the bed. Elliot tensed up. If the man decided to hurt Olivia now, what could he do? But it looked like she had actually gotten an in with the guy, who sat down on the bed and gingerly removed her blindfold.

Olivia had to make an effort not to look at Elliot immediately. Knowing he was there would have to do for now, because she needed to soften Andy up further.

"You know I treat you right, don't you, Olivia?" Andy asked her and she nodded. "I even put that ring up, so you wouldn't have to sleep like this."

He gestured at her current position, with her arms up.

"Yeah. And we had pizza," Olivia added, forcing a small smile.

"I was always good to my baby girls too," Andy said, and the look in his eyes became almost dreamy when he continued. "I gave them the prettiest dresses. My lovely Isabel wasn't allowed to wear dresses or skirts. Her mom said it wasn't safe. She was so happy when I put the pink dress with the frills on her. She felt like a princess. I gave them the best panties too. Not that crappy lace stuff, that irritates their delicate skin. But soft cotton, with soft elastic bands. They all told me how nice it felt."

"Yeah. Right up until you stuck your fingers up their little bodies," Elliot spat, unable to listen to this man's fantasies any longer. He'd heard more than enough of Andrew Turner's delusions when he was interrogating him all those years ago.

"Elliot!" Olivia said sternly. "Let the man tell his story!"

Andy looked between the two Detectives, trying to make sense of their dynamic.

"Andy," Olivia said more quietly, and she waited for him to look at her again.

"Yeah."

"How old were your baby girls when they were with you?"

Andy closed his eyes, probably picturing the girls while he named them.

"Isabel was thirteen. Beautiful blonde hair. She could finally be a real girl with me and loved to play dress-up. My Helen was twelve when she first came to me but we all celebrated her thirteenth birthday together. She had hazel eyes and the most delicious …"

Andy suddenly stopped talking, took a deep breath and then continued. Olivia's stomach flipped when she realized what Andy had been about to say.

"Delia. Blackest skin I've ever seen. She looked perfect in white. She was ten but tall for her age. And the last girl to join our happy family was Anna. Fragile Anna who managed to cut off all her hair with toy scissors one day. Poor baby girl. I tried to make her happy and make her feel good but …"

Andy sighed and shook his head, staring at the wall.

"She was only eleven but she'd already been spoiled by her stepfather. That man wasn't gentle like me. There was nothing I could do to fix her."

Olivia felt sick to her stomach but she couldn't drop her act now. She needed Andy to untie her at some point so she would need to act like she understood him and his desire to make these girls happy, as he called it. And so she blocked out all the fear and pain these four girls must have experienced and tried not to feel disgusted with herself when she told Andy,

"My mother was an alcoholic. She hurt me a lot. Maybe things would have been different for me if I had met you when I was that age."

...

 **A/N: Will Olivia's plan succeed? And yes, that line "Let the man tell his story!" was intentional - a reference to the most perfect 'argument' in the interrogation room I've ever seen Benson and Stabler perform to break a suspect. Points for naming the episode in a review! :)**


	11. Escape

**So where were we? Elliot is captured by Olivia's kidnapper as well - we now know what Andy was convicted for (trigger warning renewed) and why he's so angry with Elliot - and Olivia is playing a dangerous game …**

...

 **11\. Escape**

 _Olivia felt sick to her stomach but she couldn't drop her act now. She needed Andy to untie her at some point so she would need to act like she understood him and his desire to make these girls happy, as he called it. And so she blocked out all the fear and pain these four girls must have experienced and tried not to feel disgusted with herself when she told Andy,_

 _"My mother was an alcoholic. She hurt me a lot. Maybe things would have been different for me if I had met you when I was that age."_

...

Andy stared at her for a few moments and then started shaking his head, a sad look in his eyes.

"You were ruined a long time ago, weren't you? You wanted to be loved but then you had sex with men … _boys_ , who just wanted to get off and be done with you. I was never like that. I wasn't going to use them and dump them! I was their mentor. They were on the verge of becoming a woman and I gave them their very first real sense of pleasure. I was gentle. I used my hands and my mou…"

Andy stopped himself from finishing that sentence, thinking of certain details seemingly distracting him too much, and then continued.

"I didn't hurt them. I _helped_ them. They will never forget that first moan of pleasure I coaxed out of them and ..."

He took a deep breath and looked at Olivia again, clearly avoiding looking at Elliot, who was looking more and more like a volcano ready to erupt.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Olivia. But I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you now."

Olivia tried to remain as calm and friendly as possible, but she knew this was the moment of truth. Would Andy trust her or not?

"You could," she said quietly. "If you really wanted to."

She knew she was way too old for Andy to be interested in her in his perverted sexual way but he was wavering a little and she needed to take advantage of it. It was dangerous and her play could backfire any second but it was the only shot she had.

"I told you about how my partner here treats me, didn't I?" she reminded him, trusting that Elliot would understand what she was doing.

"Yeah."

Andy sent Elliot an angry glare and Elliot played his part perfectly, giving Olivia an exasperated look.

"I've always had men like him around me, taking me for granted. But you're different," Olivia continued calmly.

"I am!" Andy said, nodding fervently. "This prick just wouldn't see that because that's his way. He's all dominant and condescending. He wanted me to admit that I was just like him, but I'm not! You're right. I can see him dominate you. You're damaged goods and he knows it. That's what they prey on, assholes like him."

"I know."

Andy looked into her eyes and Olivia had to force herself not to hold her breath but to keep breathing regularly.

"You want me to untie you, don't you?"

His voice was less angry now and he seemed to be studying her for a reaction. Olivia moved her shoulders a bit and groaned.

"You know I'm very uncomfortable like this, Andy. I'm not the one you wanna hurt, right?"

"No."

Andy shook his head again.

"Just him."

"Liv, I swear to God, if you help him …" Elliot yelled and Andy jumped up.

He got in Elliot's face and yelled at him,

"You. Shut. The fuck. Up! You've done enough damage, Stabler. To me. To my family. To her!"

He then turned to Olivia again and she knew the plan was working. Andy took out his knife and cut the duct tape holding her wrists together swiftly. He had just mentioned her, himself and his family in the same breath, so he was actually seeing her as one of Elliot's victims now. Olivia forced herself not to look at Elliot but she knew they had to be smart now. They could do this, as soon as they decided how to overpower Andy.

Olivia sat up on the bed, rubbing her wrists and flexing her fingers to get the circulation in her hands going again. She didn't make any moves to get up from the bed. She would need a plan first.

…

The adrenaline was pumping through Elliot's system. He had the easy part now. Just yell, be angry and upset the freak even more. Argue with Olivia to make him believe they were not on good terms. They could do this. They were masters at this game and he felt empowered, knowing he and Olivia were so tuned in to each other. They were going to walk out of here, together. And the first chance he'd get, he would tell her how he felt. If the past few days had taught him anything, it was to seize the day because everything could change in a heartbeat.

The supersized taser on Andy's belt caught his eye, and his eyes flicked to Olivia. She was thanking Andy demurely for untying her hands, and was scooting to the edge of the bed so she could put her feet on the ground, as far away from Elliot as possible. Andy was watching her every move, and Elliot could see her relax visibly for Andy's benefit. His admiration for her was growing by the second.

"Now you just sit there, alright?" Andy told her, and Olivia gave him a small smile.

"I actually thought she meant something to you," Andy spat at Elliot then. "But I should have known better. You only care about yourself!"

"Go to hell," Elliot growled.

"So instead of making you watch while I kill your partner, I'm going to make a promise to you before I kill you, _Detective Stabler_."

...

Olivia was watching the exchange between Andy and Elliot intently, and looked for a way to incapacitate their captor while Elliot was distracting him. His and Elliot's guns were probably in the other room because Andy was only carrying the knife and the taser. He was still holding the knife in his hand, pointing it at Elliot, but the taser … Elliot had been out like a light when Andy had dragged him into the basement bedroom and she wondered if the taser would take out an even bigger man just as easily. There was only one way to find out and if it didn't work, they were both screwed.

Elliot made eye contact with her over Andy's shoulder. It was just a brief moment but it was enough to strengthen her. Her partner was counting on her.

"So after I'm done with you, I'm going to pay your family in Queens a little visit. And your daughter too. The one that lives on campus now," Andy droned on. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me, because you'll be dead!"

"You fucking asshole, you're not going anywhere near my family!" Elliot hissed, pretending that he was trying to break free. He kept staring at Andy, knowing that he couldn't even glance at Olivia now. Andy would notice and he'd look at her too.

"What are you gonna do, Detective? Shoot me? With what? Have me arrested? By who? Her?"

He looked back at Olivia, who was immensely grateful that she hadn't moved from her spot on the bed just yet. She lowered her head and looked at the ground so Andy wouldn't be able to read her.

"She's useless," Elliot said, getting Andy to turn back to him. "You said it yourself. She's damaged goods. She never should have become a cop at all!"

Olivia knew Elliot didn't mean a word of what he was saying but still, his words stung a little, and they made her want to jump up and make her move. But would she be able to grab the taser, turn it on Andy and find the right button fast enough?

"You have no respect for women!" Andy yelled back, leaning so close to him now that his spittle landed on Elliot's face.

"And you do, you fucking rapist?!" Elliot yelled back.

Before Andy could even blink, Elliot slammed his head into his forehead, making him stumble backwards. In a split second, Olivia was on her feet. She took the three steps she needed to reach Andy and grabbed the taser. She turned it around, pushed it into his lower back and, feeling the button underneath her fingers, squeezed the handle with all her might.

Andy screamed as a crackling sound filled the air. He was flailing and Olivia kept pushing the taser against his back to prevent him from falling into her, until he started to keel over to the left and dropped the knife. She let him fall, moving with him because the taser was still attached to his belt. But he still wasn't out, so she put the taser against his side and squeezed again.

"You bitch," Andy mumbled just before he froze and then went limp.

Olivia stood up straight and looked down at Andy, who lay motionless on the floor. She stepped around him carefully and kicked the knife away from him.

"He's out," she heard Elliot say behind her and she moved next to him, all the while keeping her eyes on Andy.

"The knife Liv," Elliot said urgently. "Cut me loose."

"Yeah."

Olivia was shaking and she fumbled with the knife for a few moments. She walked behind Elliot to cut his hands loose, and as soon as his hands were free, Elliot ripped the tape off his legs so he could stand up.

"We gotta go. I don't know how long he'll be out," Olivia said, rushing her words.

"Lemme get that taser first," Elliot said.

He reached around Andy and unclipped the leather band he'd used to secure the taser to his belt.

"Any weapons in the house?" he asked Olivia.

"Upstairs," she told him, and she was just turning to lead the way when she spotted a few drops of blood on the floor.

"There's blood," she whispered.

"Yeah. It's mine," Elliot explained, showing her a gash made by Andy's knife across his collar bone. "He nicked me when you tasered him. It's nothing."

Her eyes widened when she saw the growing bloodstain on Elliot's shirt. It wasn't just a nick. But Elliot grabbed her arm and they ran out of the room and up the stairs. They needed to grab all the weapons they could find and get out fast.

…

 **Dun dun!**


	12. Not out of the woods

**12\. Not out of the woods**

Elliot surveyed the room upstairs quickly, taking in all the computer equipment. He knew he was losing blood but he wanted his guns back before they headed out to the car.

"Here!" Olivia said, grabbing one of his guns from a drawer in the kitchen.

She checked it and her shoulders sagged.

"He took out the ammo."

"Shit," Elliot groaned, and Olivia wondered if he was in pain.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah, just … where's the ammo? We don't have much time to look for it. We should get out of here before he comes to."

"I can't find the duct tape either," Olivia told her partner.

She'd already checked the other drawers and the kitchen cabinets. She wanted to tie Andy up before leaving to get backup but if they didn't find any rope or tape fast, they'd have to leave him the way he was now; just unconscious and possibly coming to soon.

"Let's just go. I've got a car and John's coming."

"John?" Olivia asked surprised. "Really?"

Elliot nodded.

"I'll explain on the way. C'mon."

While they hurried to the door Olivia looked around once more and suddenly spotted a phone. It was _her_ phone. Andy had stashed it between two monitors but she recognized it immediately.

"El!" she said urgently. "Just a sec."

She ran over to the table, grabbed her phone and then followed Elliot outside.

"That way!" Elliot said, pointing at the long driveway leading back to the road.

They started running but Elliot faltered and Olivia could grab his arm just in time to keep him from falling.

"Elliot! You're losing too much blood!" she hissed. "You can't run."

"The shed," Elliot sighed, nodding in the direction of the tool shed he'd seen when he got there. "We have to get out of sight."

Olivia knew the shed would probably be the first place Andy would look once he went looking for them, but they didn't have a choice. Elliot was weakening and they needed to stop the bleeding somehow. The left side of his shirt was soaked already and Olivia tried not to think too much about what that might mean.

"Let's get behind the shed," she suggested, wrapping her left arm around Elliot's waist while he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders for support. "I'll check inside if there's anything we can use. If Andy shows up, he'll look inside first and we can still make a run for the car."

Elliot grunted something that sounded like approval and they made their way towards the shed as quickly as they could. Olivia helped Elliot sit down with his back against the back of the shed and then rounded the shed quickly to see if she could get in. She was able to knock the door open with her shoulder, but she didn't find anything useful inside; only gardening tools, some pots and a bag of dirt. She hurried back to Elliot, who was sitting with his eyes closed and his hand pressed against his collarbone. She kneeled next to him and asked him,

"Can I take a look?"

Elliot opened his eyes and looked down at his injury. His hand was already a little bloody.

"It's not a deep cut," he told Olivia. "Not life-threatening or anything."

"It could be if you lose too much blood El," Olivia said, keeping her voice down in case Andy was already looking for them.

She took his hand, moved it away from the cut gently and tugged his damaged shirt down. Elliot winced when the breeze hit the open wound. Maybe the cut was deeper than he thought after all. Blood wasn't gushing out but it was more than a trickle and it hurt like hell. He was lucky that his collarbone had taken the biggest hit. He watched Olivia's face while she took off her running jacket. She seemed worried about him and he wanted to reassure her. To tell her he would be alright, as long as he could get her out of here and back to safety. Just seeing her unharmed was such a relief that it was worth all the pain in his back as well as this fresh injury. Olivia was folding her jacket and then looked at him before she pushed it against his wound firmly. He could see the apology in her eyes that she was hurting him but he didn't mind. He was just glad she was still breathing and able to hurt him.

"John should be here soon," he told her. "I left the car on the road so he'd be able to find us. He came along with me and got out of the car when we figured we were getting close to your location."

Olivia just nodded and he wished he could say more to reassure her. Their fight earlier had been an act. Now, she was showing how much she truly cared about him. He didn't know what she'd told Andy Turner to get him to trust her but she'd done an amazing job and she had let him know effortlessly which part he had to play.

"Thanks Liv," he said softly.

Her dark eyes flicked up to his blues.

"For what? You came here to get _me_ out."

"But you knew how to play him. You're the one who got both of us out."

"We're not out of the woods yet, El."

They looked around and when they looked at each other again, there was a trace of amusement in their eyes. They were quite literally still in the woods.

Olivia continued to apply pressure to the left side of his chest with her left hand and pulled her phone out of her pocket with her right hand.

"Look. It's turned off but if we switch it back on, they should be able to find us."

"Perfect," Elliot said, reaching for the phone.

He switched it on quickly.

"Battery's all but dead," he said with a frown. "Don't know how long it will stay on but Ruben's got it traced so …"

They looked down at the phone in Elliot's hand together, and Elliot moved his left arm around Olivia, tugging her closer to him. After powering up completely, the phone only stayed on for about fifteen seconds. The battery had been drained and Olivia sighed. She leaned against Elliot, resting her head against his shoulder while putting her weight behind her hand, that was still pressing her jacket down against Elliot's wound. They both knew that the phone might not be picked up by TARU this quickly.

Olivia was a little taken aback when she felt Elliot press his lips to her forehead and lifted her head to look at him. Elliot took a breath as if to say something, but then he seemed to change his mind.

"El," Olivia whispered.

"Liv, I'm sorry I got you into this mess," Elliot told her.

"No," she responded instantly. "He was going to take one of your kids, El. I'm glad he picked me instead."

It took a moment for Elliot to fully absorb what she was saying, and Olivia focused on keeping the pressure on his wound while looking around them. They would need to continue walking at some point, or they'd never reach the car.

"You gotta know, Liv," Elliot started, but then they were both startled when they heard the sound of a door slamming shut.

It had to be Andy. They stared at each other for a few moments and then Elliot reached for Olivia's face with his right hand. She blinked when he cupped her cheek and caressed it gently with his thumb. Despite the impending danger, she felt as if they were momentarily frozen in time. Elliot's voice was raspy when he told her,

"No matter what happens next, you gotta know Liv."

"Know what?" she asked him, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"When you never showed up at my place … I lost it Liv. And I realized, I can't do this without you."

Olivia shook her head, trying not to read too much into his words and the emotion in his eyes. This wasn't the time or the place ...

"I'm not going anywhere El, and neither are you. We're going to get out of here," she whispered as firmly as she could.

"I know. That's not what I mean," Elliot insisted, and Olivia knew the pounding of her heart wasn't caused just by their perilous circumstances.

She stared at him with wide eyes, almost afraid of what he was going to say next. They heard footsteps on the driveway then and Olivia bit her lip. Elliot closed his eyes, dropped his forehead to hers and then whispered softly,

"I love you."

...

 **Reviews are life.**


	13. Showdown

**Another short chapter. We're inching closer to the finale. Enjoy!**

...

 **13\. Showdown**

They both held their breath, eyes closed and foreheads glued together, listening for any sound indicating that Andy might be coming closer. It gave Olivia a brief moment to digest what Elliot had just told her.

 _I love you._

She knew that intense circumstances could elicit intense emotions but she also knew his words hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment thing. The were both masters of restraint and he wouldn't have said it if he hadn't meant it. He wanted her to know, in case they didn't both make it out alive …

She couldn't think about that. The thought of possibly losing him made her sick to her stomach. Elliot's warm hand, that was now resting against her neck, kept her grounded and she opened her eyes to look at him. He was pale and she knew he had lost a lot of blood. She didn't know if she would be able to get him back on his feet. Her free hand, the one that wasn't still pressing her jacket against his chest, reached up and Elliot let out a shaky breath when she touched his cheek. Maybe he was right. If these were their last moments together on earth, she should tell him, too.

The sound of dead branches snapping underneath heavy boots made them freeze and they looked at each other, knowing that their time was about to run out. There was no playing Andy anymore. They were both the enemy now and the man would want to carry out his original plan: kill her like Elliot had killed his family, as he had put it, and make Elliot watch.

Elliot's eyes flitted from Olivia to their surroundings and back. The car was too far away. If Andy had a gun, making a run for it would be useless. He wouldn't be able to run fast enough. Olivia moved very slowly, turning away from him while rising to her feet, and preparing to peek around the shed. Elliot held her jacket against his chest and tried to get up as well, but the risk of making too much noise and alerting Andy was too big. Olivia held out a hand, motioning him to stay put and he wished he could grab her hand and pull her back. He wanted to just disappear with her and never let go of her again. If Andy grabbed her now he would be useless to her.

The sound of footsteps in the yard was getting closer and then they heard someone mumbling unintelligibly. It was definitely Andy Turner.

Olivia had peeked around the shed and ducked back behind it, her back against the shed, and put a finger over her lips. He hadn't planned on saying anything right now anyway. When they heard Andy yank the door of the shed open, Olivia quickly ducked down and grabbed Elliot's arm to help him up. Standing up, he'd at least have a fighting chance. He scrambled to his feet with Olivia's help while Andy was throwing some things around and cursing under his breath inside the shed. Elliot grabbed the taser, that was on the ground next to where he'd been sitting, and exchanged a look with Olivia. How would he get close enough to use that thing on Andy again?

Olivia had grabbed Andy's knife from the ground and made herself as flat as possible against the back of the shed. She was ready to kick Andy as soon as he'd round the structure. If she could just surprise him for a second, they'd have time to incapacitate him again. The only problem was, they didn't know from which side he'd round the shed. Olivia was waiting at the left corner of the shed and from the corner of her eye, she saw Elliot move to the right corner slowly.

They both jumped when the door of the shed was slammed shut forcefully.

"You know I'm gonna find you, Detectives!" Andy yelled. "And your betrayal's gonna cost you, _Olivia_!"

He'd spoken her name with pure disgust and Olivia shivered. There was no talking the man down anymore now. They might have to injure him or even kill him and she steeled herself. She looked at Elliot again. He was still standing and gave her a determined nod. He was injured but he wasn't completely helpless yet.

They heard Andy muttering again, and he seemed to be pacing in front of the shed. He then took a few strides down the driveway and Elliot could see him walk in the direction of the car. But before he could relax, the man turned back around. Elliot pulled his head back behind the shed quickly but he couldn't be sure the man hadn't seen him, so he moved a little closer to Olivia.

And then they heard Andy's voice, taunting them.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

They could hear him walk back in their direction. They looked at each other, silently encouraging each other, and listened carefully to determine on which side of them Andy would appear. They heard a thump on Elliot's side. The instant they both turned their heads in the direction of the sound, Olivia felt the cold metal of a gun barrel being pressed against the back of her head. She gasped and Elliot whipped around to look at her.

"Not another inch, Detective," Andy said gleefully. "Unless you want her brain splattered all over you."

Elliot froze, his heart aching when he saw the raw fear in Olivia's eyes. They had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. Andy had distracted them by tossing a rock over the shed.

"And you, drop the knife babe," Andy instructed, pushing the gun against her skull a little harder.

He was back to his old ways, no longer feeling even a hint of sympathy for Olivia. She dropped the knife next to her and Andy kicked it away.

"Now … on your knees."

Olivia dropped to her knees, looking up at Elliot. He could see a resignation in her eyes that cut through his soul like a sword. It couldn't end like this. It wasn't going to end like this!

"You're not getting away with killing a cop, Turner," Elliot said, forcing himself to speak calmly. "The NYPD will hunt you down and kill you without hesitation."

Andy grinned but his smile didn't reach his ice cold eyes. Elliot realized that Andy didn't care about his own life anymore and he could feel the onset of panic rising in his chest. This man was already dead inside. All he wanted was to make him suffer the same way he had suffered when he lost his wife and his unborn baby. He didn't care about anything other than getting revenge on the Detective that had made him confess to his crimes.

"I don't care anymore whether I live or die, Detective," Andy said, confirming Elliot's thoughts. "And I don't care whether she lives or dies. But _you_ do. And that's what makes this all worth it. So let's see. Are you gonna beg for her life? Or is _she_ gonna beg for her life? Or yours?"

He suddenly pointed the gun at Elliot and Olivia's stomach dropped. Elliot kept his eyes trained on hers. He'd dropped her jacket and the taser and stood still, his arms spread in surrender, revealing his bloody shirt to both of them.

"Nobody's gonna beg for anything," he told the man who was holding him at gunpoint, but he was telling Olivia as well.

Andy was now focused on him, so maybe she could swing around and make him lose his balance. They would only need a second, the element of surprise. But then the gun was back against Olivia's head. The moment had passed.

Olivia was trembling inside and suddenly felt cold. There was no way out. Andy would kill at least one of them, probably both of them. If he shot Elliot, then both of them would be best, she decided. She wouldn't want to go on without Elliot anyway if she was to witness his death here and now. But Elliot had a family that needed him. He shouldn't die. If one of them had to die, it should be her.

She looked up at Elliot again and his eyes were boring holes in hers.

"Don't give up Liv. It's what he wants," Elliot said softly.

She knew he could barely stand at this point but he was trying to give her strength. He knew her too well. He knew what she'd been thinking.

"I don't care one way or the other," Andy snarled. "I just want you to suffer the way I suffered. Now say goodbye, Detectives."

Elliot swallowed hard. Every muscle in his body was itching to do something but Andy's finger was on the trigger. He couldn't risk it. His eyes found Olivia's again and he saw tears well up in her eyes. Then he saw her mouth three words to him very clearly.

 _I love you._

She expelled a shuddering breath and lowered her head, accepting her fate.

"No!" Elliot screamed.

He couldn't contain himself any longer and balled his hands into fists.

"Yes!" Andy yelled, moving the gun to the side to stroke Olivia's cheek with the barrel. "This is for you, Denise. And for our little baby girl."

Andy chuckled and Olivia squeezed her eyes shut.

"And it's all your fault, Detective Stabler."

Andy lifted his gun and got ready to push it against Olivia's skull once again when a loud gunshot rang through the air. Elliot's eyes widened and Olivia braced herself for impact.

But it hadn't been Andy's gun that went off and Andy was screaming, stumbling backwards. He dropped his gun while grabbing his lower arm, that was suddenly bleeding profusely.

"Wrong," they heard a very familiar voice say as a fourth person stepped behind the shed. "It's all _your_ fault. And you're under arrest."

Elliot dropped to his knees in front of Olivia, who was sitting up to look at their savior.

"Talk about dramatic timing," Elliot sighed.

"I just followed the loud voices," John Munch said with a wide smile, but the tremor in his voice betrayed his emotions. "Now you two catch your breath while I slap some handcuffs on that creep."

…

 **A/N: Guys! It's John Munch!**


	14. Still here

**One more chapter after this one! (I think ...) Please review.**

...

 **14\. Still here**

Olivia was still in a daze. John Munch had handcuffed Andy, who had cursed loudly for a minute about being shot and about how he felt about Elliot before turning completely inward, as if he was no longer there. They had all gone inside the house and after checking the place for boobytraps, John had found them a first aid kit. Olivia had helped Elliot take his damaged, soaked shirt off but was barely registering what was going on around them. She was tending to Elliot's cut on autopilot, cleaning it and taping it, to stop the residual bleeding. Meanwhile, John had located a working phone and called Cragen, who was greatly relieved to learn that his Detectives were still alive, and told him they were on their way.

Elliot knew that Olivia was in shock. She had been ready to die just half an hour earlier and he couldn't fathom what that was doing to her now. He was still shaking himself. When that gunshot rang, in his mind she had been shot in the head and he had lost her. The instant he saw John, he had rushed to Olivia's side. He had taken inventory and had concluded that Olivia wasn't injured, his brain taking over from his emotions. Those emotions were coming back full force now.

They were each sitting on a dining chair and Olivia was sitting close to him, one of her knees between his while she made sure the tape would stick to his chest. Elliot put his hands on her thighs carefully and she raised her eyes to meet his.

"We're still here," he rasped, telling himself as well as her.

Olivia just nodded, swallowing hard and then averted her eyes.

"Hey," Elliot whispered, and she looked at him again.

"We're still here. Let it sink in, Liv."

She took a shaky breath then. She wanted to say something too, but the words just wouldn't come. She could have been dead. Gone. Elliot too. If John had been there only seconds later, it would all have been over.

"Liv," Elliot said again and when she looked into his pleading blue eyes, she began to feel it again.

Their connection.

They were still here. They were still connected.

She took another deep breath, wanting to say something again, but all she could manage was his name.

"El."

Elliot's arms were reaching for her then and she let him pull her into his lap. She suddenly felt exhausted, almost unable to keep herself upright, and she gave in to his comfort, resting her head on his shoulder.

"We're still here," Elliot repeated softly a few times while rocking her gently, as if it was his new mantra.

John kept his distance and was studying all the computer equipment on the table. When Andy piped up from his corner that he wasn't to touch anything, John just told him to shut up and continued going through the laptop he was looking at.

Olivia had closed her eyes and tried to focus on Elliot's breathing. He was still breathing. So was she. They were going to go home and Andy was going back to jail. He should never have been out in the first place. What he put those young girls through … it was sickening. Elliot was rubbing her arm gently and she focused on that. He loved her. He'd said so. And when she thought that their time was up, she had wanted him to know she loved him too. They hadn't really spoken with each other since, but it was out in the open now. She didn't have a clue what they were going to do next and she tried not to let that uncertainty add to her stress levels. She needed Elliot's calming presence now. Everything else could wait.

It was much the same for Elliot. Holding Olivia close to him was enough for now. He was feeling faint, having lost a considerable amount of blood, and his back was killing him. But it had all been worth it. He just needed some time to come to terms with what had almost happened today.

John stood up after receiving a call from their Captain.

"He's coming," he told his co-workers, who stood up slowly to follow him outside.

Olivia wrapped her arm around Elliot's waist and Elliot wrapped his arm around her shoulder. When they glanced at each other, they both knew they were looking for support as much as they were giving each other support.

When they walked outside, they heard a roaring sound and looked up just in time to see a black helicopter lower behind the trees. They looked at each other again, a hint of surprise in their eyes this time. Cragen had taken a helicopter to meet them? A few minutes later, their Captain arrived, his overcoat flapping in the wind as he rushed towards them, followed by two local uniformed police officers and a man and a woman carrying medical equipment.

"Olivia, it's so good to see you!" Cragen called out even before he had reached them. "You too Elliot. John. Even if you did go rogue on me."

"You knew Elliot wouldn't just sit and wait for you to find her," John told their superior officer, who just smiled at all of them.

He then looked at Olivia more attentively.

"How are you doing?" he asked her kindly.

"I'm fine," Olivia said automatically. "Elliot's injured. He needs to be checked out."

Cragen beckoned the medical staff to approach and look at Elliot's injuries.

"Check his back too," he instructed them, and Elliot let go of Olivia reluctantly.

"So where's our guy?" Cragen asked.

"Inside," John said, tossing his head in the direction of the house. "I'll take them to him."

John led the two officers into the house and Cragen stood next to Olivia, who was watching the medical staff check the tape on Elliot's chest.

"You need to sit down," the woman remarked, gesturing at a tree stump where Elliot could sit down. She then talked into her portable radio, urging a third member of their group to hurry up with the gurney.

Olivia was focused on Elliot alone. He was her lifeline at the moment, keeping her from slipping away into this strange state of numbness that kept trying to overtake her. She had been strong and alert for days without knowing how it all would end, and she felt utterly drained. All she wanted was to have Elliot's arms around her again so she could finally sleep. She registered that Cragen was talking, but she didn't know if he was talking to her or someone else.

"Maybe Liv should sit down too," Elliot said, and she saw concern in his eyes.

The male nurse turned to her and took her arm gently to help her sit down on the ground. Before Olivia could comply, John and the officers returned with Andy, who was still handcuffed.

"That's him?" Cragen asked. "Who is he?"

"Andy Turner. The lowest life form in existence," Elliot growled, rising to his feet.

Andy glared at him and Elliot felt rage bubbling in his gut.

"This isn't over, Stabler," Andy hissed and Elliot balled his hands into fists.

On top of abusing those young girls, Andy had dared to attempt to kill his Olivia. It _was_ over.

"Wanna bet?" Elliot spat back.

"I'm just going to get out early on good behavior again, Detective. You'll see. I'm a model prisoner."

Elliot wanted to wipe that confident smirk off the creep's face, and before he could think about it, he lashed out and punched him square in the face, breaking his nose.

Andy screamed and cursed, and the two officers who had been ordered to take him in, had some trouble containing the man. After uttering a few vile profanities, Andy started screaming police brutality. Cragen stepped forward and looked both police officers the eyes when he told them,

"I didn't see a thing. Did you?"

"No sir," both men said in unison.

"Must have happened during an earlier struggle," Cragen said.

"Must have," John confirmed, and they all nodded.

Andy wisely stopped protesting, knowing that these officers wouldn't turn on one of their own.

Elliot was breathing heavily, still shaking with adrenaline. He wished he could punch Andy again but seeing his nose smashed would have to do. Olivia moved next to him and wrapped her arm around his waist, and he exhaled slowly.

"We got him El," she said softly and he looked into her dark eyes.

" _You_ got him," he said softly, reaching up to caress her cheek.

She gave him a small smile and shrugged.

"Details."

"I like details when it comes to you."

Their only focus was each other and it was soothing for both of them. It was as if there was nobody else around, even while Andy was being dragged off behind them, the medical staff was waiting rather impatiently for Elliot to climb on the gurney and John and the Captain were trying to look anywhere but at them.

Olivia's eyes had widened a bit at Elliot's gesture and she gazed up at him with a mixture of expectation and apprehension in her eyes. Elliot leaned in and nuzzled her nose softly with his. They both smiled and let out a shaky breath. They were confirming to each other wordlessly what they had told each other earlier. _I love you._ When Olivia put her hand against Elliot's cheek, he took it as permission to kiss her. He leaned in again and brushed his lips against hers before kissing her, very softly - tentatively. Olivia sighed against his lips and they both relaxed visibly. Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot's neck and they both closed their eyes then, holding each other, anchoring themselves in the present so they wouldn't drift off into the nightmare of a future without each other, that had been so close today.

…

Everyone had been quiet on the helicopter ride back to the city. Elliot had been checked out thoroughly at the hospital and was back on his pain medication. He would be allowed to go home but under strict orders to take some time off and really rest. John had returned to the station to brief the others and help with following up on Andy's case. Captain Cragen had stayed with Elliot and Olivia at the hospital and was urging them both to take all the time off they needed to heal, not only physically but also emotionally. And a chat with Huang would be mandatory for both of them before Cragen would even allow them to come back to the 1-6.

Olivia just nodded. All she wanted was to take a long shower and sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, she was back behind the shed, on her knees, expecting to either lose Elliot or be shot herself any second. She wanted to sleep but she didn't want to be alone.

When Elliot stood up from the examining table, she moved next to him automatically, and Elliot grabbed her hand.

"I'll have a uni drive you home," Cragen told them, and Elliot nodded.

"Thanks Captain."

He looked at Olivia then, as if asking here where they were going. There was no way he was going to leave her alone now. They were both shaken up and he wanted to have her close to him, just to see for himself that she was still alive and well.

"Your place or mine?" he asked her softly and he could see relief in her eyes.

"Yours," she told him without hesitation. "It's where I was supposed to go, right?"

He squeezed her hand gently.

"You're right. We're gonna have that takeout after all."

"All the time you need," Cragen stressed once more, looking at both of them very seriously.

He hadn't commented on how close they were now, or about seeing them kiss each other, and they were grateful. It was too fresh for them to talk about now. They needed to talk to each other first. But not today.

Not today.

It was late in the afternoon when they finally got to Elliot's place and Olivia told him that all she wanted was to take a shower and sleep. They could eat later.

Elliot had showered at the hospital before getting a new dressing for his wound, and showed Olivia where everything was in his bathroom. When she emerged, wearing one of his long t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants and smelling like his shampoo, Elliot wrapped her up in his arms again. He was groggy from the pain medication but he wasn't ready to be separated from Olivia just yet.

Olivia closed her eyes and this time, she didn't flash back to those moments behind the shed. She inhaled Elliot's scent and held him tightly. She wanted to ask him if she could sleep in his bed with him but wondered if that would be too forward.

"I think I could sleep for days," Elliot mumbled against her temple.

"Me too," she said quietly. _As long as you're with me_ , she thought.

"Lay with me?" Elliot asked her and relief flooded her system.

She nodded without looking up at him, and without another word, Elliot led her into his bedroom and to his bed. Elliot slipped out of his jeans, leaving a fresh t-shirt and boxer briefs on. They both crawled into his bed and found each other in the middle. They didn't speak. They didn't have to. Elliot pressed his lips to Olivia's forehead once and when she snuggled up to his right side, they both breathed out contently. They were asleep within minutes.

…


	15. Together

**Alright, so maybe there will be a chapter 16 … a little epilogue after this. I hope this chapter will make sense to you!**

...

 **15\. Together**

"Liv. Olivia."

Elliot was rubbing Olivia's shoulder gently. He had just woken up again and had found Olivia next to him, moving around restlessly in her sleep.

"No... No... No." Olivia mumbled.

Olivia was having a bad dream and Elliot was trying to wake her up without scaring her.

"Liv. Olivia. Wake up honey. It's just a dream."

"Elliot," Olivia sighed, and he thought she'd heard him.

"Yes Liv, it's me," he answered, but Olivia wasn't really awake.

"No, please no," she mumbled again.

Elliot pushed himself up on his right elbow, trying not to put too much strain on his back and chest, and leaned over Olivia.

"Liv, I'm right here. I'm right here," he tried again.

Suddenly Olivia's eyes popped open and she looked up at him in the dimly lit room, her eyes filled with horror.

"El," she said, and he could tell she wasn't really awake yet.

"Yes, I'm here Liv," he repeated. "We're still here."

Those words clicked with Olivia and she came out of her daze.

"We're still here," she echoed, and she covered her face with her hands.

"It's alright Liv," Elliot said softly, rubbing her shoulder again. "It was a dream."

Olivia kept her face covered for a few moments while she took a few deep breaths, and Elliot wondered if she was trying not to cry. He knew she wouldn't want him to see her crying but things were different now, weren't they? They should be, he decided, and he gently grasped one of her hands to move it away from her face. Olivia moved with him surprisingly easy, uncovering her face, and blinked up at him.

"You died," she whispered.

Her eyes were dry but filled with hurt. Elliot knew exactly what she was feeling, because he had had a similar dream. He even saw her get shot while he was awake at times, and he was glad she had stayed with him, so he could look at her to remind himself she was still alive.

"I didn't honey," he whispered, lifting her hand to his mouth to kiss her fingers. "And neither did you, thank God."

"We're still here," Olivia said once more, and she finally relaxed.

Elliot smiled at her and she smiled back. She was fully awake now and he suddenly saw a spark of amusement in her eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"Did you just call me honey?"

Elliot's grin widened.

"I guess I did. Is that okay with you?"

Olivia bit her lip and Elliot wanted to kiss her. Aside from their very first little kiss, they hadn't kissed again, but somehow he felt like he could let himself think about Olivia that way now. It was new, he had never allowed himself to look at her like anything other than a close friend, but if these past few days had proven anything to him, it was that she was far, far more to him. He felt incomplete without her.

"I suppose it's okay. As long as you don't do it in public."

Elliot chuckled and finally gave in to the urge to kiss her. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips before promising her,

"I won't call you honey in public. Honey."

Olivia wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him down again. Kissing Elliot was completely new but somehow it also felt so natural and she hummed softly when Elliot kissed her again.

"So how about sweetheart," he mumbled against her lips, making her laugh again.

"That's even worse, Stabler," she said, trying to sound stern.

But the truth was, their flirty banter was the perfect cure for the dark feelings she had woken up with after that horrific dream. Elliot, bleeding out in front of her and Andy just laughing behind her. The thought alone gave her chills and she held Elliot a little tighter, kissing him harder. Elliot returned her kiss eagerly and gently pried her lips apart. When he ran his tongue teasingly along her upper lip, Olivia moaned softly and granted him access. When their tongues touched, she felt something resembling electricity shooting in all directions. Elliot moaned as well and the sound made her body react in a way she had never felt before. She broke off the kiss to look at him.

"Wow," Elliot said softly.

"Yeah," Olivia sighed. "Wow indeed."

They grinned at each other, and after a few moments, Elliot lay back down next to her. She loved him for being so sensitive to the moment. Aside from Elliot's injuries, limiting him physically, they weren't ready to take big steps in this new relationship yet. Even the word relationship sounded odd between them. But that was what they were embarking on, wasn't it? They were both lying on their backs now, their heads turned towards each other so they could look at each other.

"You okay now?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah."

"Hungry?"

"Actually, yes. What time is it anyway?"

Elliot turned his head to look at his alarm clock and told her,

"Almost nine."

"AM?"

Olivia was mildly shocked.

"PM Liv. We only slept for a couple of hours."

"9 PM. That means we can still get some takeout."

Elliot chuckled.

"Yeah. I'm ordering in. I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Elliot climbed out of bed gingerly and once he had left the bedroom, Olivia sighed. His remark was sticking with her. Elliot had always had an overprotective streak about him. She knew things were very fresh now and they had made a narrow escape, but he couldn't start crowding her. They'd fight, she knew it. She loved him but she knew that his protectiveness would annoy her to no end. It already did at times, and they hadn't been together then, just partners.

She smiled wryly. Was that true? Were they ever really 'just partners'? She knew that her job was to serve and protect the public, but another one of her main duties was to have her partner's back as well. It had always come naturally to her to want to protect Elliot. She'd seen something pure in him from the moment she met him. His temper could sometimes cloud his intentions but she knew that he was driven by a genuine desire to rid the world of evil. And she would do anything to protect him. Just hours earlier, she had been willing to die for him.

She knew now that it was the same for Elliot and that thought filled her with wonder as well as a sense of belonging. She wondered what she'd done to deserve his love and dedication but she also knew it was simply ... right.

Through the years, Elliot had been the only man she'd ever belonged with. It hadn't even been a romantic love. Not at first anyway. He'd been married during their first five, six years together and she had tried to keep any thoughts of Elliot as a romantic interest at bay. But the sense of belonging together as people had always been there. The romance that was now being added, albeit tentatively, was just a huge bonus and it had taken a near death experience for both of them to admit their love for each other - to themselves as well as each other.

Olivia pushed herself up into a sitting position in bed - Elliot's bed - and smiled, shaking her head. At least Andy had done one thing right. But now that their feelings were out in the open, things were going to change. Their comfortable routine was going to change. _They_ were going to change. Did she really want that?

…

Elliot enjoyed having Olivia around. After the stressful days he'd had, then finding her and then almost losing her for good, it was soothing to see her all the time. They were wearing matching sweats now and he loved it. Olivia had eaten well and was fussing a little over him, telling him he needed to make sure he didn't put too much strain on his back and chest.

"Here, put this pillow behind your back," she urged, and he complied with a chuckle.

"Giving me a taste of what it's like to live with you?" he asked.

She gave him a shocked look and he wondered if he had overstepped somehow. They were doing this, weren't they? They had confessed their feelings for each other and she was letting him kiss her.

"Don't tell me _I'm_ overbearing, Mr. Overprotectiveness," Olivia fired back, and he couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

Olivia plopped back down on the couch and Elliot watched her profile as she bit her lip. The best way to find out what she was thinking, was just to ask her. He hadn't forgotten how arguments with Olivia Benson could start and he made sure he didn't sound like he was attacking her when he asked her,

"Are you being serious?"

He watched her blink, chew on her lip a few times and then take a breath to say something.

"I just … I don't want us to become weird El," she finally said and he welcomed her honesty.

"Weird how?" he probed.

"You just said, live with you."

"Did I?"

She finally turned her head to look at him.

"Yeah. You did. And it hit me …"

"What hit you?"

He reached for her hand in her lap and she let him take it.

"That … that this is serious. That things are gonna change forever."

Elliot didn't see the problem, welcoming the change with open arms, but Olivia was different. She'd always been on her own. And while they had always had a very close bond, maybe the change scared her.

"I'm hoping it will be a good change Liv," he said quietly.

She nodded.

"Me too. But … do you think we could still work together? Without you hovering over me?"

It suddenly dawned on him what she was worried about. Mr. Overprotectiveness indeed.

"You think I suddenly won't know what a capable cop you are Liv? Just because we're together? That somehow my caveman instincts to protect my woman will override all logic or something? _You're_ the one who got us out of that mess today Liv. Don't think I don't know that. You're one of the strongest, smartest people I know and … yeah, I guess I'm going to be even more proud of you now, not just being your partner on the job anymore but … well, you know."

He suddenly hesitated putting a label on what they were to each other now, and skipped to the rest of what he wanted her to know.

"I would have left no stone unturned to find you Liv, but I know you would have done the same for me. You're a force to be reckoned with and I promise you I'll never forget that. You're my equal in every sense of the word - a few very fine distinctions aside," he added with a mischievous gleam in his eyes and that finally got her to smile again.

She squeezed his hand and nodded.

"Okay, but …" she said quietly.

"What Liv?"

What else could there be? He never really knew with Olivia.

"How did you suddenly become so well-spoken? We never talk like this."

He chuckled. He was pretty pleased himself with what he'd been able to express.

"I don't know Liv," he shrugged. "I guess this just feels … right. You know what I mean?"

She knew exactly what he meant.

Olivia scooted closer to Elliot on the couch and rubbed his thigh with her palm.

"It's gonna take some time for us to adapt. To this," she said.

It was wonderful but strange to touch him like this.

Elliot lifted his arm and draped it behind Olivia on the backrest of the couch, and she looked at him, waiting for his response.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm just glad I told you how I feel, because I suck at dating," he told her, making her laugh out loud.

"We're skipping the dating part, El. We've known each other forever," she said with a wide smile.

"Yes we have. We know what we're in for, Liv, and I'm ready. I love you and I'm here for it. The good, the bad and the ugly."

"You know I can get really ugly," she said, but her tone was teasing.

He was winning her over easily, making her feel comfortable with him again, just like he always did, but with a beautiful promise of a new future ahead of them this time.

"Yeah. I know," Elliot said.

He put a hand to his chest and added dramatically,

"It's my cross to bear."

"Oh please," Olivia said, rolling her eyes, but then they both laughed again.

Olivia sat up and leaned over to Elliot to give him a soft kiss on the jaw.

"Just for the record," she told him softly, "I'm here for it too. Because I love you."

It was very quiet in the room after that, the only sounds being heard those of two people breathing together, breathing in the love that was between them. Finding a home in each others' arms and eventually falling asleep together.

…

 **Just one little epilogue after this! Please review.**


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue - four weeks later**

George Huang smiled when he looked at the two Detectives sitting closely together on the couch in his office, their fingers intertwined in Elliot's lap. It had been four weeks since Olivia's kidnapping. Andy Turner was going to be tried for two counts of kidnapping and two counts of attempted murder. In view of his earlier conviction, it wasn't to be expected that he would ever get out of prison again. A vindictive pervert like him was clearly a danger to society.

And now Elliot and Olivia wanted to go back to work and it was Huang's job to ascertain if they were ready.

"Captain Cragen told me about this new development between the two of you," he started. "And he has agreed to let me see you together instead of separately. There is a reason for that, which I will explain later."

Elliot and Olivia exchanged a look but they weren't going to complain. They had grown much closer over the past few weeks and were on a mission to never keep secrets from each other again. Elliot's back wasn't giving him any problems anymore, and the cut on his chest had healed beautifully. He'd been relieved that the doctors had been able to put in only internal stitches, while working with tape only on his skin, because he valued his chiseled, muscular chest.

Olivia did too and used it as a pillow a lot. He loved having her sprawled out on top of him at night. The first time they made love she had been on top too, so he wouldn't put too much pressure on his back. They hadn't rushed into the physical part of their relationship though, taking two full weeks to explore this new dynamic between them. But once their clothes had started to come off, there had been no stopping anymore. They suspected that it was obvious to Huang that they were way past the stage of just holding hands.

"So, first of all,"Huang began, "you've been partners for a long time so you know each other well. Was there something to trigger this new relationship between the two of you, aside from Elliot's divorce?"

Elliot looked at Olivia lovingly, and maintained eye contact with her while he told Huang,

"After my divorce, I wanted to take some time to get used to being on my own. Kind of to prove that I could, I guess. I didn't want to seem too needy, although I'd known for a long time that I cared about Olivia. But when she went missing, I realized that life's too short to waste time when you already know what you want. She could have died without knowing …"

He swallowed hard and had to take a deep breath before continuing.

"Without knowing how much I love her. Once I found her, I wasn't going to wait another minute."

Olivia raised her hand, the one that currently wasn't trapped between Elliot's hands, and caressed his cheek.

"I'm still here El."

"We're still here," Elliot replied, and they smiled widely at each other.

It had become their phrase, that helped them focus on the here and now whenever they needed it. They both turned to face Huang again and Olivia cocked her head with a small smile.

"Sorry."

"Not a problem, Olivia. It's actually very nice to see you two open up like this. You seem more relaxed than I have ever seen the two of you."

"A forced four week vacation will do that to a person," Elliot said, earning him a gentle elbow in the side from Olivia.

She was well aware that the man wasn't made for an idle life. Neither was she.

"Alright. So you are eager to go back to work. Let's continue then. How are you both doing physically? Any headaches, stomachaches or tense muscles? Other aches and pains?"

Olivia and Elliot tried to be as upfront as possible about their physical state, admitting that their bodies had reacted strongly afterwards to the stressful weekend they'd had. But giving each other massages had proven to be not only good for their bodies, but also healing for their souls as well as creating a stronger bond between them.

"That's good. Very good," Huang hummed while scribbling something on his notepad. "And how are you sleeping? Any nightmares or disturbing dreams?"

Elliot glanced at Olivia. They had both been having very disturbing dreams and there was no telling when those were going to stop.

"Not as frequently as in the beginning," Olivia answered truthfully, and Elliot nodded.

"What are the dreams about?"

"Olivia being killed," Elliot said instantly.

"Or Elliot," Olivia added.

Huang looked at both of them for a moment and nodded.

"I see. And when you wake up? Does a dream like that stay with you? Interfere with your normal routine?"

They looked at each other again, a small smile on their lips and Huang smiled knowingly as well.

"As long as she's right next to me when I wake up, everything's fine," Elliot told the psychiatrist, and Olivia squeezed his hand.

"Same for me," she admitted, grinning a little sheepishly.

Huang made another note on his notepad and asked his next question.

"Alright. But once you go back to work, you may be assigned to different shifts from time to time. What if you have a disturbing dream and your partner isn't there when you wake up? Do you think you'd be able to handle that?"

Elliot bit his lip. He'd been thinking about what it would be like to go back to work, and they had wondered if they were going to be split up now because they were involved. Would he be able to handle it if he had to trust someone else to have her back?

"I … don't know, to be honest," he finally said, and Huang smiled at him encouragingly.

"That's a very honest answer," he told Elliot.

"I guess if we want to find out, we'll have to get back to work first," Olivia said.

She had no idea if Huang was going to clear them for duty right away, but she hoped they would at least get the chance to find out how they were going to cope on the job. They hadn't had any counseling but they had talked a lot together and she felt that they were strong enough now to focus on their jobs again. On top of that, they were getting used to being a couple. It wasn't weird anymore and she believed that they'd find their groove easily again on the job. All they needed was a chance to show it.

Huang made a few notes and then looked at her.

"Is there anything else that's on your mind more than average, aside from those dreams about what happened to the two of you?"

When Elliot let out a little huff, Huang quickly added,

"I mean things that make you restless."

Elliot grinned widely and Olivia poked him in the side once again.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Stabler!"

"Sorry Doc," Elliot said, but the grin stayed on his face.

Huang smiled and looked at both of them contently.

"So no other worries then?" he concluded.

"None that I can think of," Olivia said. "I just want to dive right in and see what happens. We'll have to be able to be apart some time."

"About that," Huang said, and Elliot squeezed Olivia's hand once more.

He had wondered if Huang was going to mention their partnership at all and he knew that this was it.

"The reason Cragen asked me to talk to the two of you together, was twofold. One, obviously, was to see how you were both doing. Seeing you together would give me an idea about how openly you're discussing the trauma you've endured."

Olivia looked at Elliot, who rubbed the back of her hand lovingly with his thumb.

"I've opened up a lot over the past few weeks, Doc," he told the psychiatrist.

"I can tell, Elliot. And speaking as a friend, I'm happy for you."

He then looked at Olivia.

"The other reason was, that the Captain wanted me to assess if you were still able to work together."

Olivia took a breath and held it, waiting for the punchline.

"You mean as partners?" she heard Elliot ask hopefully.

"Yes."

"And?"

"You've always been close," Huang said, looking at the notes on his notepad. "And you've always been able to work well together. Maybe that's because you are that close."

He looked up from his notes to gauge their reaction to his words. Both Detectives were apprehensive and just wanted him to tell them.

"So your Captain has decided, if I agreed with him, to keep you both on at the SVU as partners."

Olivia opened her mouth but no sound came out for the moment. She hadn't realized how much it would mean to her until now.

"And?" Elliot asked. "Do you agree with him?"

George Huang put aside his notepad and pen and folded his hands in front of him. He smiled at both of them and started nodding slowly.

"I do."

Olivia blew out a breath slowly and Elliot chuckled nervously, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He would have to learn to be apart from Olivia again, but not a lot. She would always be close by, just like before.

"The Captain has one stipulation. If he feels at any time that your involvement creates a problem, he reserves the right to split you up. But as long as you two stay focused on the job, I doubt that will happen any time soon. You are both too driven to get things done to let personal matters get in the way of the job, and your combined drive is exactly what makes you so effective as partners."

Olivia wanted to hug George and decided to just do it. She stood up and walked up to him. George, understanding her emotions, stood up too and let her hug him. He patted her back a little clumsily but he appreciated the gesture.

"Thank you," Elliot said, extending his hand, and George shook it.

"You're welcome."

When the two Detectives left his office with orders to report to the firing range the next morning, the psychiatrist smiled. He had been pleasantly surprised to see these two people, who had walked around with bottled-up emotions for so long, open up to each other - and as a result, to him. He was certain they would be even more effective in their jobs now because they had found peace. Granted, it had taken a tragedy for them to realize how much they loved each other, but they were truly better together than they would ever be apart.

As soon as the door had closed behind them, Elliot pulled Olivia into his arms and pushed her up against the wall. Olivia, already used to Elliot's passionate ways, grinned up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey partner," she whispered and his blue eyes seemed even brighter than before.

"Hey partner," Elliot replied.

He leaned in then and captured her lips with his. Olivia responded instantly, pulling him close and deepening the kiss. They lost themselves in the moment and closed their eyes, knowing that everything had changed but still, a lot would stay the same. And they wouldn't have it any other way.

…

 **The End**

…

 **Ah, you can just see them walking into work again after this. You could read any established Bensler fanfic after this one. Thank you for reading this story and do let me know your thoughts about this epilogue and my very first action story as a whole. I love getting your reviews!**


End file.
